(Some
of the blankets laid out in front of Union Buildings which won the Guinness
Book of Records for the largest blanket in the world)
67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela will be at
the Hilton Festival this year which runs from September 14 to 16, 2018.
For those unaware of this ground-breaking
and Guinness Book of Records holding organisation, in December 2013, Zelda la
Grange, President Nelson Mandela’s assistant, challenged philanthropist and “Arts
Angel” Carolyn Steyn, to knit or crochet
67 blankets.
These blankets would be distributed to
those in need on Mandela Day – an annual international day in honour of Nelson
Mandela, and celebrated on his birthday, the 18th July.
Carolyn Steyn accepted Zelda’s challenge
and called on her friends for help by developing a Facebook group called 67
Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day. In just days, hundreds of people around the
world had pledged to knit a blanket.
Anyone is welcome to join this incredible
initiative, which has become a “Knitting Revolution for Nelson Mandela”!
“Stitch by stitch, we pledge to keep
thousands of people less fortunate than ourselves in South Africa and around
the world warmer in all winters to come in the name of Nelson Mandela. His
legacy lives on in each blanket we product with our own two hands,” says
Carolyn Steyn.
67 Blankets will be situated in Buzz Room 1
at CFI. If you can't crochet or knit, there'll be someone there to teach you. Donations for wool will be extremely welcome!
For more information visit http://67blankets.co.za/