A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY 

According to Japanese legend, folding a thousand paper cranes brings a person happiness and good luck. In some versions of the story, the person may be granted a wish by the gods. In Japan, the crane is a bird of happiness – a symbol of luck and longevity. It lives a thousand years; and each crane in the senbazuru symbolizes one year of happiness. Hence, gifting a thousand cranes to a person lets them know that they are loved.

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SADAKO’S STORY

The senbazuru was popularized by Sadako Sasaki, a two-year-old girl who got exposed to radiation in the 1945 Hiroshima bombing. During her battle with leukemia, Sadako became inspired by the Japanese legend. She hoped that folding a thousand cranes would grant her good health. Sadako started.

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According to Eleanor Coerr’s novel, Sadako did not finish. She had folded 644 paper cranes before her death. But that didn’t mean that Sadako’s senbazuru was left unfinished. Her friends and family helped complete the remaining cranes.

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OUR PHILOSOPHY

We want to spark hope, belonging, and connection.

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Our volunteers are working toward a collective goal – to make a thousand cranes for someone in need. We hope that by donating this gift, the receiver feels loved and acknowledged. There are many charities that raise funds, but sometimes that is not enough. We need to look holistically at a person’s situation. Human beings strive on belonging and connection. In certain times of our lives though, this may become difficult. We hope that whenever the receiver looks at this gift, he or she knows that there is someone out there who cares. We hope that the receiver can feel connected with the community.

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As for the volunteers, each member is collaborating to achieve this goal. Whether volunteers work individually, or work in teams with their friends and family, each person is important. We hope volunteers have a fun time in the process!