No soul in Canada will be forgotten.
A group of Canadians are putting their knitting skills to good use and are making an incredible memorial for COVID-19 victims.
Three Ontario knitters have begun work on a memorial blanket that is intended to honour the lives of Canadians who have died from the virus. It’s a project inspired by the massive AIDS quilt created in 1987 in San Francisco.
The three women spearheading the ambitious project (Heather Breadner, Allison Day, and Amanda Sharpe), brainstormed the project as a way to bring comfort to those who have lost loved ones, and to help remember each person who has died during the pandemic.
“I was looking for a way to amplify the humanity of the people that we’ve lost during COVID-19,” Heather Breadner told CTV News. “I felt that a lot of the names and the faces were being lost amongst the statistics, so I wanted to turn that into a project that could inspire hope.”
The blanket will consist of one knitted 12” x 12” square for each person who has died in Canada due to COVID-19.
At the moment, the blanket will have approximately 9,000 squares and will weigh 1,500 lbs (680 kg).
You can help!
Since launching the project last week, there has been an outpouring of support but they still need help.
The ladies say they cannot complete the large installation alone and are encouraging other knitters to join them in creating the memorial.
"We are calling all knitters across the country to pick up their needles," says a message on the COVID-19 memorial blanket project website.
"Together, we can create a memorial that can travel through the country, and bring comfort to those who've lost loved ones, and to honour the memories of the souls who are now no longer with us."
Source: SolStock / Moment / Getty Images
When finished, the blanket will be toured across the country with an accompanying book that contains more information about those who have died during the pandemic.
If you are interested in knitting for this project, volunteering in another way, or making a donation, visit the website for more information.
If you would like to register the name of a family member that you have lost due to COVID-19, you can enter their information on the project page. Families can decide just how much — or as little —information as they wish to share about their loved one.
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