It’s the #GrootBlanket Drive
Western Cape winters are notoriously cold. We know this because our vineyards stand leafless for months on end “hibernating” until the temperatures rise to bring new life. Luckily, our vines can look after themselves during the freezing winter months. The homeless and orphans around the country, however, are not as fortunate.
For that reason we decided to join the 2016 Twitter Blanket Drive and give back to the country that helped create Groot Constantia’s 331 year heritage. For over three centuries we’ve been producing wine enjoyed by monarchs and historical figures around the globe. Our wine varietals have won 66 gold medals over the last 10 years – an achievement we’re not only proud of, but grateful for.
As South Africa’s oldest wine producing estate, we’re forever indebted to the people and communities in the Constantia Valley that helped the estate become world-renowned. Putting our weight behind a movement that reaches out to communities well beyond our valley is, therefore, a no-brainer.
What is the Twitter Blanket Drive?
Founded in 2010, the Twitter Blanket Drive started with a single tweet that read: ‘What if every single person on Twitter donated a blanket?’ Posted by Twitter Blanket Drive founder Melanie Minnaar, the tweet spawned a movement that has collected thousands of blankets over the course of seven years.
Today the Twitter Blanket Drive operates on all major social media platforms with tweets shared on Facebook and Cape Town’s Instagram community coming to the party last year with a custom-built #InstaWalk initiative aimed at collecting blankets all over the city. There is also a dedicated Twitter Blanket Drive page on Facebook and you’ll find them on Twitter at @TBDAfrica
This year’s drive has lofty ambitions and aims to collect at least 2500 blankets, up 900 from 2015. Organisers, however, are not too concerned about the numbers. “We’ll take anything we can get,” said TBD2016 national co-ordinator Merentia Van der Vent. “Even if 30 are collected, it means 30 people will benefit.”
Who benefits?
Blankets collected during the 2016 Twitter Blanket Drive will be distributed to selected charities and also some of those nominated by the public.
If you’d like to nominate a charity for this or next year’s Twitter Blanket Drive, email the name of the charity and your participating city to twitterblanketdrive@gmail.com
A team effort
Groot Constantia will join a host of organisations, institution and people doing their part to collect as many blankets as possible. Charity is a team effort and we’d like to call on all wine lovers to support the cause.
This #TBD2016 #GrootBlanket drive comes with rewards!
Go dig in your cupboard for a blanket and drop it off at our tasting room. It’s as simple as that.
And to make it more fun: We’ll reward you for your efforts by offering a FREE wine tasting for every blanket delivery you bring to our two tasting rooms on the following two dates:
- Saturday 23 April
- Saturday 21 May
And if you want to stand a chance to win a Simon’s picnic or Jonkershuis Breakfast or a Cellar Tour, then take a #TBD2016 selfie WITH your blanket at one of our tasting halls and tag with: #TBD2016 #GrootBlanket
The Groot Constantia #TBD2016 challenge
Groot Constantia want to fill the Groot Constantia sundial garden with blankets! Wall to wall blankets is what we want to see! The deadline for all blanket deliveries is Saturday 21 May 2016.
Getting to Groot Constantia
We’re open 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm. Getting here is easy with the City Sightseeing bus – which also operates 7 days a week. Hop on at the V&A Waterfront, in Long Street or any other bus Stop point with your blanket and arrive via their Blue Tour right in front of our doorstep! Purchasing tickets online are discounted! https://www.citysightseeing.co.za/
Follow the Twitter Blanket Drive on Twitter at @TBDAfrica and tweet to them using #TBD2016 or #twitterblanketdrive and show your support!
