Mandela Day
July 17 @ 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
67 Minutes of Service | Friday, 17 July 2026 | 09:30 – 12:00 | Helderberg Hospice Hall and Garden, Somerset West (21 Old Stellenbosch Road, Helena Heights, Somerset West)
About The Day
This Mandela Day, we are bringing our community together for 67 minutes of meaningful service across two projects close to our heart.
Squares for Care
Since February 2026, volunteers across the Helderberg community have been crocheting and knitting individual squares which are then joined together to create warm, comforting blankets for our patients. To date, 33,578 squares have been collected, producing 700 blankets. On 17 July, we will be celebrating this incredible collective effort with a live square display, our official final count announcement, and a blanket gifting ceremony where completed blankets are presented directly to patients in our care. Your team is warmly invited to crochet or knit squares on the day, or help join blankets together.
Items that can be donated to support this activity:
- Completed granny squares (15 x 15cm in size, any pattern or colour and can be crocheted or knitted)
- Double knit yarn or wool (any colour as we will use this to join blankets together)
Garden of Remembrance
Our Garden of Remembrance is a peaceful space at the Hospice that holds deep meaning for our patients, their families, and our staff. On Mandela Day, volunteers may help us tend and beautify this space through three hands-on activities. Volunteers may weed the rose garden and labyrinth, each removing 67 weeds or weeding for 67 minutes. They may also place river rock borders around our memorials, donating or placing rocks of approximately ostrich egg size. Finally, volunteers may opt to decorate and plant hope pots with messages of hope and succulents, which will form part of the Garden of Remembrance’s 10th birthday celebrations and be gifted during our Open Gardens event later in the year.
Items that can be donated to support this activity:
- River rocks (approximately ostrich egg size) — 67 needed
- Small plastic 10cm plant pots — 67 needed in any colour
- A bag of potting soil
- 67 small succulents
As a small treat for all our volunteers on the morning, we would also gratefully welcome a donation of 67 cupcakes or 67 finger food items to share across the team
Please RSVP using this link so that we can plan for your group. Certificates of participation will be issued to all attendees: https://wkf.ms/4ggeLMS
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with myself or Cheryl (copied in) or call us on 021 852 4608.