Carolyn SteynatUnion Buildings
Yesterday at 09:35
Dearest KnitWits for Madiba,
Together we made history yesterday!! We BEAT the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD. We were on every single television and radio station. We were mentioned on SKY NEWS!!! In actual fact we had BLANKET COVERAGE!!!
We did this TOGETHER!! We united as a nation and came together to show our African brothers and sisters that we can hold hands, that we can unite through bright colourful thread. We are showing the entire WORLD that we in South Africa love nothing more than a challenge. We rallied, we sweated, we stressed, we got blisters, we stayed up long hours so we could reach our goal of 21 000 blankets to spread across the vast lawns of the UNION BUILDINGS around the giant statue of our beloved Nelson Mandela who was definitely smiling down on us yesterday.
There are so many people who need to be recognised and I am not going to mention them right now for fear of missing out on someone who has also done extraordinary work.
But I do have to single out the corporates, who without them we would not have made it to the UNION BUILDINGS yesterday and we would not have entered the history books.
CELL C, STUTTAFORD VAN LINES and AIRLINK. You showed such "goodwool" and are a shining example of how corporates have the power to do beautiful things and not expect anything in return.
Many are asking "how many blankets". The truth is - we have no idea. Our last count on our blanket barometer was something like 7000. Our website was and is still not up to scratch and we are upping our game now. I am not even sure whether we reached 21000 blankets or made over 21000. Blankets were still arriving yesterday!! It was RAINING blankets!!! And that is why we opted to go for the option of chasing the "BIGGEST BLANKET IN THE WORLD" - and we really SMASHED that one.
Now, I have another CALL TO ACTION to our dearest KnitWits for Madiba. Please PUT DOWN your knitting needles and crochet hooks!!!!
You have 67 hours (as well as the upcoming weekend) where you are NOT ALLOWED to knit or crochet!! Take a rest. Take a breather. Enjoy your cup of tea, take a longer bath, go for a massage, read your book, smell the roses, take a walk, spend time with a friend or family. Just take some time out.
And then we will all meet again. We will start up again with renewed energy and fire, to further our drive ahead of Mandela Day, July 18.
But for now, I don't want any of you to post pics of knitting or crocheting. I want to see photos of you all RELAXING. Show us all how you are spending your time away from wool. Post pics of the book you are reading, the dog you are walking, the time you spend with friends or family. One rule: no wool in the photos!!!
Thank you to each and every KnitWit for Madiba for being part of this movement called 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day and for entering us into the history books. I am SO PROUD of us!!!!
With love to you all,
Carolyn