Health & Welfare News South Africa

Mandela Day initiative nominated for campaign of the year

Founded in December 2013, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day was recently nominated for ANN7's Campaign of the Year Award. In only a few months, the initiative has garnered thousands of supporters from around the world and over 4,000 blankets have been collected for charity organisations in South Africa.
Mandela Day initiative nominated for campaign of the year

According to founder Carolyn Steyn: "We are so humbled and honoured to be considered for this award. We're still in infancy and don't even have a bank account - to be nominated alongside corporate giants like KFC and Coca-Cola is indeed a privilege! 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day started out as a simple challenge and has become a global movement. We were able to keep so many people warm this winter because of passion - passion for the cause, passion for making a difference and passion for Madiba's legacy! I would like to take this opportunity to thank and applaud all the knit-wits for embracing this initiative with such gusto and enthusiasm."

The possibilities for next year are truly endless

Steyn's next goal is to collect double the amount of blankets for distribution in the winter of 2015. To keep the momentum alive, Steyn plans on having knit-a-thons, blanket handovers and even a "yarn-bomb" at the Nelson Mandela statue at the Union Buildings.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think that we would be able to collect thousands of blankets to hand out to those in need on Mandela Day. In fact, I was aiming for a mere 67 blankets! The power of intention is an incredible thing, as is making a difference - it's contagious. This award nomination really means a lot to me and to the knit-wits because it acknowledges our efforts and shines a light on our hard work. If this is what we were able to achieve in just seven months - the possibilities for next year are truly endless," concludes Steyn.

To vote for 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day, SMS CAMP 1 to 43043 or e-mail CAMP 1 to moc.7nna@gnitovytas. You can vote as many times as you like.

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