SDAFF 2009: Fold a Prayer: Cancer Awareness

I first read SADAKO AND THE THOUSAND PAPER CRANES in seventh grade. I also learned how to fold cranes that year. Since then, I never thought I’d need to know how to fold cranes until Lee Ann announced that we will be launching a crane and cancer awareness campaign this year in honor of George Lin and all the people in our lives who have been touched by cancer. In this historical novel, Sadako was a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing, but develops leukemia at the age of 12. She eventually becomes hospitalized and to keep her spirit up, her friend reminds her of the legend that if you fold a thousand paper cranes, the gods will grant you a wish. Sadako and her friends begin folding cranes. Unfortunately, Sadako was only able to fold 644 cranes before passing away. Since then, thousands of paper cranes are folded every year and dedicated to her at the Japan Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. This year, SDAFF encourages you to fold a crane. With your help, we hope to fold at least a thousand cranes during the festival to donate to a local cancer patient. And don’t worry if you don’t know how to fold a crane. We’ll be there to teach you! =)

Mini mini crane

Hope