Japanese Connections Class Crane-a-Thon

This huge origami-style crane flies above the Orcas High School Commons

Japanese legend holds that the crane  is a mystical  creature that  lives for a thousand years. Tradition promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish, such as long or recovery from illness or injury.

Orcas high school students in the Japanese Connections class have put their heads together to help the Japanese people by organizing an origami-folding “Crane-a-thon” this Thursday, April 7.

A pledge drive precedes  the event, with the public invited to pledge support for the event, which has changed from a fund-raiser for the trip to Japan, scheduled for later this month, to a project to directly help and comfort victims of the Japanese disaster. Pledges can be made on a  per-crane basis or for an overall pledge amount.

From 5 to 6 p.m. in the school library, all are invited to learn to fold paper into cranes, then from 6 to 7 p.m. the actual “Crane-a-Thon” will begin, to create these symbols of peace and hope.

The fund-raising event has been organized by three high school students who have planned on going on the school trip to Japan this month. While the departure date is still uncertain, students Iris Parker-Pavitt, Serena Sanders and Sofie Thixton  got busy to organize this event.

Sofie Thixton, thought the Japanese Connection students should organize a fund-raiser to help their prospective hosts when the earthquake and tsunami struck Japan last month. Serena Sanders went online to research how they could help most directly. She found that many relief agencies are over-funded, and contributions would not go directly to the Japanese disaster victims. Then she found a site where a Japanese organization was disbursing clean new socks, and the girls decided to sign on.

Iris Parker-Pavitt came up with the idea of making the folded cranes. Originally the idea had been to take the cranes to Hiroshima, the site of the 1945 nuclear bombing of Japan. Now, however, Hiroshima is not on the itinerary of the trip.

After the crane-a-thon, the students will package a pair of socks with a folded crane and a simple note, and hope to personally deliver the packages to Japan.

“This will be a fun and meaningful event,” said Iris. Pledge sheets may be obtained at the Orcas Island High School office. For further information, email Iris at irispavitt@yahoo.com