1000 Cranes of Hope
Kelly Freeman
Hiroshima
About 140,000 lives were lost in the bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. The bomb, dubbed "Little Boy", exploded with a blast equal to about 15,000 tons of TNT. This 9,000 pound bomb was the cause of great devastation in Japan, along with another bomb, "Fat Man", which was dropped on Nagasaki.
The Story of the Peace Crane
Sadako Sasaki was only 2 years old when the bombing of Hiroshima took place. She had lived a fulfilling and happy life, until she was in the 6th grade. Odd lumps had formed on her neck, and she had a cold with symptoms similar to the mumps. The Japanese had called this illness "the atom bomb disease". While in the hospital, Sadako Sasaki was told of an old Japanese legend. This legend told that if one was to make 1000 paper cranes, their wish would come true. Sasaki had made over 1000 cranes before her death on October 25, 1955. One of her wishes was for world peace. Her peers, depressed by her death, decided to work to build a monument in her memory. This monument was placed in Hiroshima Peace Park, and at the bottom was inscribed, "This is our cry, This is our prayer, Peace in the world." Many people from around the world send paper cranes to the monument in memory of her and the many children in times of war.
1000 Cranes of Hope Project
Through the Japanese tradition of making 1000 paper cranes, this project is working with the help of many to help cure cancer. Writing your wish to help on a paper crane is a simple step to support the cause. People and organizations all around the world are helping, and it only takes one piece of paper to make a difference.