Gateway Society receive blankets to keep the cold at bay
The organisation was founded six years ago by Carolyn Steyn in response to Zelda la Grange's challenge to knit 67 blankets for Mandela Day
Residents of the Gateway Village will be warm and cosy this winter after receiving a welcome donation from the non-profit organisation 67 Blankets for Mandela Day.
Thirty seven blankets were donated on Thursday, 7 May and Rob Herring, the 67 Blankets ambassador, said, “It was a joy to see how such a small gesture can make the less privileged happy. We could not hand out the blankets to individuals ourselves because of the Covid-19 issues, but we were able to hand them over to Melissa Green, the Gateway Village’s General Manager, who then distributed them.”
He added that 10 of the blankets were donated by Panorama Primary School, the staff at Abbey Cross Care Home in Northcliff donated 10, and he and three other people made the rest.
Melissa was very grateful for the donation, and said, “The Gateway takes care of intellectually challenged adults. We are truly grateful for the generous donation we received from 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day. The beautiful blankets were much needed, and our residents will put them to good use this winter.”
The organisation was founded six years ago by Carolyn Steyn in response to Zelda la Grange’s challenge to knit 67 blankets for Mandela Day.
Zelda served as former president Nelson Mandela’s personal assistant for many years. The challenge has grown from donating 67 blankets to those in need, to donating 670 blankets, to a world record breaking 27 000 blankets having been donated.
In the process 67 Blankets has claimed the Guinness World Record for ‘Largest Crochet Blanket in the World’ in 2015. India made a bid for the title and briefly took it out of South Africa’s hands, but we took it back in 2016 with a blanket measuring over 17 000 square metres.
Throughout the years people from all walks of life, including prisoners and school learners, have been pouring care and compassion into their knitting and crocheting, stitching the country together one stitch at a time.
67 Blankets has grown into an international movement, with KnitWits donating blankets in the name of Madiba in many countries.
