The origami crane is a symbol of luck. Many believe that if you make 1,000 cranes, your wish will come true. This took on great significance when a girl named Sadako Sasaki developed leukemia after the Hiroshima bombing during World War II. Sadako created 644 cranes before her death; her friends folded the rest. Today, a statue of Sadako Sasaki is in the Hiroshima Peace Park and every year people from all over the world decorate her statue with cranes.
An event to honor Sadako and benefit Phoenix Children’s Hospital (PCH) will be hosted at Southwest Gardener at 10am on Saturday, April 17. Origami master Brian Harrison will teach participants how to fold cranes and participants are invited to fold as many as they can. Lessons will be scheduled in half-hour blocks. The cranes will be strung together and displayed at the hospital.
The workshop donation is $15, with proceeds benefiting the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at PCH, which provides care for children diagnosed with malignancies and/or life-threatening hematologic diseases. Southwest Gardener is located at 2809 N, 15th Ave in Phoenix, on the southeast corner of Thomas and 15th Ave. To sign up for the 1,000 Cranes Event call Southwest Gardener at 602-279-9510.
