Cranes Across the Water commemorates the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima in honor of Sadako Sasaki, the Japanese girl who was two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945 near her home in Hiroshima, Japan. Sadako is remembered through her attempting to fold a thousand origami cranes before her death, and is to this day a symbol of innocent victims of war. Sadako changed her wish of long life, to be that of peace and has become a symbol of the impact of nuclear war and a heroine for girls in Japan and around the world. Her story is told in Japanese schools on the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing and people throughout Japan celebrate August 6 as an annual peace day. This is how a 12 year old girl changed the world.
July 15-20 is the Adoption of 3 foot Cranes of Peace. There are 1001 Cranes to be adopted by local artists, children, veterans, and anyone wishing for peace. The adoption is held in Ladd Circle. Folks get adoption paper/agreement, pay $15 adoption fee/art contest entry fee, and pick up a Crane of Peace. They take it home and decorate it. There is a $1001 Prize for the one voted best and the set of Cranes will tour museums across America, and hopefully, to Hiroshima.
August 6, the Walk of the Cranes For Peace, is at 10-11 am (with a 9 am check-in). The Walk and rally are at the Veterans For Peace Memorial Garden, NE Oregon St and NE Lloyd Blvd, from noon to 5 pm. Donations of socks, sunglasses, suntan lotion and new shoes for winter will be given to Sisters of the Road. As Sadako’s wish says “No bombs Are dropped on anyone ever again.”
More information for these events is available by writing to theorigamilady@yahoo.com.