Page 25 - FWG Issue 1 February 2023

Estate News

THE REMARKABLE STORY OF 67 BLANKETS

Carolyn Steyn, media personality, philanthropist and the founder of 67
Blankets, shares how one challenge to knit a blanket in honour of the

late president Nelson Mandela has grown into a global movement –
and changed her life forever.

n December 2013, Zelda la Grange, who You are invited to join this worthy initiative as 67 Blankets is about to celebrate its 9th
was the late president Nelson Mandela’s a “goodwool” Ambassador by actively helping birthday. The initiative has won various
trusted assistant, presented Carolyn to promote and develop the charity in order Guinness World Records over the years. This
Iwith a challenge to knit, sew or crochet for it to grow and maintain its relevance. year, instead of one huge Johannesburg
67 blankets. These blankets would then be event, a number of blanket events will be
distributed to those in need on Mandela Stitch by stitch, KnitWits will be keeping held under the banner “Local Blankets
Day (18 July 2014). thousands of people around the world warm Is Lekka”. These events will take place
this winter (and all the winters to come) in the at various centres around the country,
Carolyn gladly accepted Zelda’s challenge, name of our beloved Nelson Mandela. His organised by the Ambassadors in those
but she soon realised that she wouldn’t be legacy lives on in each blanket produced by areas.
able to achieve it alone. hand.
Our Johannesburg “Local Blankets Is Lekka”
She called on her friends for help and Annie Robinson Grealy, one of Carolyn’s oldest celebration will take place at Jeppe School for
developed a Facebook group and page friends, was a 67 Blankets Ambassador whilst Girls on 3 June, so our Fourways Gardens 67
called 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day. living in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Annie Blankets group is working towards creating
Her friends shared the page with their now lives in Fourways Gardens (FWG) and blankets for that date. These blankets will
friends, who shared the page with theirs, sent out an invitation to anyone interested to then be distributed to those in need.
and within just a few weeks hundreds of help her create a local FWG group.
people from around the world had pledged Anyone is welcome to join. Come along and
to knit a blanket for Nelson Mandela Day. To her delight, a new group of 67 Blankets meet new people – women, men (yes, real
KnitWits and ‘happy hookers’ (fondly known men knit!) of all ages, races, etc. We have a
Since then, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela as those who crochet as opposed to knitting) great, fun group.
Day has transformed into a movement meet every second Thursday of the month, at
that has captured the attention of many 10am in the clubhouse. It’s a great group of For more information, email Annie on
South Africans, international celebrities, people, some from outside of the estate, with annie@67blankets.co.za or log on to Facebook
corporates and dedicated “KnitWits for everyone contributing and creating a blanket and Instagram pages under 67 Blankets
Madiba” in Australia, Belgium, Canada, with their own two hands (it doesn’t matter for Nelson Mandela Day (South Africa). Or,
Germany, Cyprus, London, the United what level of skill you have) to keep those less visit the website www.67blankets.co.za for
States and India. fortunate warm in winter. information on blanket sizes.

Fourways Gardens • 23 • February 2023