With reporting from Ankita Menon
Qatar is home to dozens of world records, including world’s longest thank-you letter to a ruler, biggest squash racket and most recently, world’s largest draped flag.
Next week, the country hopes to also break the Guinness World Record for most clothes gathered for charity in 24 hours.
The current record is 12.5 tons, achieved in Hanoi, Vietnam last year. Qatar Charity aims to smash that by collecting 14 tons (in two 20-foot containers) of clothes between April 26th and April 27th.
It plans to send what is collected to the Philippines, the Central African Republic and Yemen. According to a Qatar Charity representative who spoke to Doha News, Asian, Arab and African nations were chosen so that everyone would share and participate in the event.
The collection drive starts at 5pm at the Aspire Zone, where the charity will work with Qatar-based youth group Mission20 to collect, process and pack clothes donated into containers.
Speaking to Doha News, a Mission20 member said:
“By going for the world record, it creates competition, but for a good cause. Maybe by seeing Qatar, other countries will also get interested.”
There will also be activities for families and children. Organizers ask that the clothes be washed and preferably ironed. Here’s a helpful tip sheet on what the protocol is for donating clothes if you’ve never done it before.
For those who want to participate and don’t have any clothes to donate, Mission20 is asking volunteers to sign up on its website to help receive and package clothes. There are also shifts for photographing the event. You can sign up to be a volunteer here.
Who’s planning on taking part? Thoughts?
Note: This article has been updated to reflect revised goals of organizers, who are now aiming to collect 14 tons instead of 21 tons of clothes.
Superlatives tend to dilute the whole purpose of the exercise.
Volunteers? No problem – my driver and one of my housemaids are on their way 🙂
Good idea, but seems to be a bit sanctimonious.
why do u need to make a record for a good cause
You should understand by now that it’s about appearances in anything they do. Not for the cause, the press and limelight only. And it matters what you donate. In an “event” like this if I were to bring my old underwear they’d take it. For the sake of the record.
I for one will find it amusing to watch Filipino survivors of the hurricane walking round in thobes and abayas
Mimh..good..atleast they will learn to know how kind hearted the thobes and abayas are and if allah give them hidayat definitely they would help others about the importance of thobe and abaya that how protective it is
Do they protect against typhoons and tsunamis? Wow!
that and work
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MIMH, with your wealth of experience and comments on dohanews i assume that you should know it plans to send what is collected to the Philippines, the Central African Republic and Yemen. So, the thobes and abayas will probably go to Yemen and maybe Central African Republic as there are Muslims who wear thobes and abaya in these country’s and others like casual wears goes to the Philippines.
Nah they should mix it up. Yemenis wearing t shirts saying ‘my second wife went to Doha and all I got was this lousy t shirt’ with the Filipinos wearing Thobes and no underwear sitting in a bar.
Lol…this MIMH is a very funny dude, sometimes one need not to take you seriously sir.
The national PR machine really needs an overhaul………………
CHARITY IS DONE IN SILENCE and not by showing off the world! Pathetic