1000 PAPER CRANES
Friday 18th March 2011
My book Cherry Crush is about a girl who is half-Japanese, and a Japanese theme runs all through the story. For me, as for all who love Japan and its culture, the recent earthquake, tsunami and threatened nuclear disaster has been shocking and scary.
I wanted to do something to help, and found myself thinking of the story of the 1000 Paper Cranes. In Japanese legend, anyone who makes 1000 paper cranes is granted a wish. In 1955, a Japanese girl, Sadako Sasaki, became ill with radiation sickness after the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Sadako planned to make 1000 paper cranes, but she had folded only 644 cranes when she died aged just 12. Her friends made the remaining paper cranes and buried them with her… one of the saddest yet most beautiful stories of friendship ever. In Japan, the paper crane is a powerful symbol of peace and hope.
What better way to send your support, good wishes and prayers to Japan? Find yourself a square of paper, click the link and make your own paper crane for Japan – then send in your pics through any of the website links. Tell your friends, family and teachers and spread the word. Together, we can make 1000 cranes… and show Japan that we care.
If you’re able to raise money for those made homeless by the disaster, you can donate to the Red Cross.
Look out for more ideas of how you can help on the Secret Page and in the April online newsletter… with comps to reward all your hard work. If you haven’t signed up for the free online newsletter, you can do it here – you’ll find a clue for the password to the Secret Page in the newsletter, too.
Get folding… and send your thoughts and prayers to Japan.
xxx
I think that’s a really lovely thing to do. I think I’ll bring the instuctions into school and get the class to make paper cranes. During the holidays, me and a load of my friends went Christmas carolling in the snow, and raised 125 euro for the Simon Community which is an Irish charity for homeless people. It was a lot of fun and we felt really good about making a difference. If we did it once we can do it again! Maybe we could do a bake sale this time…
Love you Cathy, xxx
I think its fantastic that cathy thought of this and i think it is lovely that everyone is going to try and help, i am going to tell my class and try and make 1000 (or at least close) paper cranes. keep up the gr8 work cathy!! :-)xxx
I’m not going to make cranes. I’m going to sell art, beautiful mystical art by me. Zouaraxxx
wow you are such a gr8 person to think of this cathy! All the best
heya im gonna try , but i am not sure if i wil;l be able too LOL ! It sound something nice and relaxing to do ! i feel so sad for all the people who lost their lives in the japan disasters 🙁 would love to do something to help them xxx I think we should try and do our best to help them as they are in a terrible state ! 🙁
love elizabeth xxx
Hi Cathy!!! I think what your doing is so cool and thoughtful. I’ll try to make a crane but it looks really hard!! Its a brilliant thing your doing for Japan!! Well done Cathy!! Love from Sophie xx P.S Rock on!!!
Wow, it’s great to do something for people are in need of help. I loved reading your book, Cherry Crush – great plot. Looking forward to the rest of the series.xxxx
That was a really touching story of the girl with paper cranes! Imagine how hard it would be to try to make 1000 by yourself…
thats a gr8 idea ill do it and upload a pic if i can
Wow thats a lot of papercranes. One of our teachers found and looked at the story and then decided that we would do it as a school last week and this week we haven’t reached 1,000 yet but we hope to by the end of the week. Love all you books espeically cherry crush looking forward to your next book and all the series! xxx