A team of generous residents at Belrose Country Club has put their heads, hearts and knitting needles together, whipping up an incredible number of baby vests and beanies for newborns in Kiriwina, Papua New Guinea. The cause, Caring for Kiriwina, was originally championed by Belrose’s aqua aerobics teacher, Sandy Reid, but the community quickly lined up to help. Residents Jean Johnson and Isabel Geard took the lead in coordinating the ‘Kiriwina Knit-Fest’.
Within the space of a few short weeks, a group of 12 knitters had produced an astonishing 60 baby vests and 91 beanies! The kindness extended beyond the core knitting group, with other residents donating wool for the project.
Caitlin Beyer, Belrose’s Lifestyle Activities Officer, was touched by the overwhelming response from the Belrose community.
“It’s one thing to see our residents knit for charity and hand in some beautiful garments, but it’s very rare to see the outcome like this. It’s heart-warming to see the impact of our residents’ kindness and labour of love,” she said.
“Two of our most enthusiastic knitters were Norma Lyon and Nancy Thornton, both care apartment residents. They told me that they love to knit in front of the television at night and that knitting for this cause has given them a great sense of purpose.”
Sandy was equally thrilled with the Belrose residents’ swift and impressive handiwork. She recently shared this photo of some of the Kiriwina locals, with the babies donning some of the hand-crafted creations. The shining smiles of the mums and bubs speak for themselves!
