Knit for Charity and Honor a Humanitarian through 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela
By knitting for charity through 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela, you’ll not only help keep needy people warm, but you’ll honor one of history’s greatest humanitarians
A few weeks ago, I received this tweet regarding a program called “67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela.” The tweet from Veronica Buzby said, “We knit/crochet/quilt blankets for the needy. Help us set a record in Washington DC in July 2016!” Along with this, she included a link to a Facebook group.
I took a look at the Facebook page and found the following from the page’s description:
About 18 months ago, Zelda la Grange, long time Personal Assistant to former President Nelson Mandela, presented her friend Carolyn Steyn with the challenge of making 67 blankets by Nelson Mandela Day in 2014. (July 18th). Obviously this would be impossible for her to do alone, so she reached out to her friends, and to their friends, to help her make blankets, which would be given to the needy. As a result, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day was formed.
South Africa has had an enormous response to this call to action. They exceeded the challenge of 67 blankets by at least 6,000! By April 21st of 2015, more than 9,000 blankets were laid at the foot of the Nelson Mandela statue in front of the Government Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa. 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela claimed a Guinness World Book of Records for the largest crocheted blanket!
This movement has gone global! We are just getting started in the USA. We knit, crochet, or quilt blankets for the needy in our areas to keep them warm and comforted during the cold winters. In 2016, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day in the USA plans on spreading blankets around the Nelson Mandela statue in Washington DC in July 2016.
In 2009, the United Nations declared July 18th as an international day of service in honor of Nelson Mandela. Mandela then called on the world to give 67 minutes of their time in service to their communities on that day. Nelson Mandela gave 67 years of his life in service to his country.
Stitch by Stitch, people from all over the world are making each day a Nelson Mandela Day. Join us as we set our own record in Washington DC in July 2016! We have goals of 670 blankets in 2016 and 6,700 in 2017!”
What a wonderful way to pay tribute to one of recent history’s great humanitarians and also knit for the needy at the same time!
How You Can Help
The nice thing about this program is that you’ve got plenty of time! Join the group at the above-linked Facebook page, and get started with a blanket!
If you live in DC or Maryland, you can join one of the knitalong groups that meet regularly; if not, you can submit blankets as you create them. You can also visit the 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day’s website here and get information about drop-off points and shipping addresses.
This could be an incredibly memorable event for United States knitters and crocheters. If you love making blankets, why not make some for this exciting event?