“1000 Peace Crane Project” Completed at Library
• Project Will Aid Earthquake Victims in Japan
Jan 5, 2012 – The Nutley Public Library is ringing in the new year with the completion of the "1,000 Peace Crane Project" accomplished in cooperation with Nutley resident Nobuko Okabe. Townspeople are invited to visit the library to see the completed Peace Cranes which are on display, hanging on both the first and second floors of the library.
Nearly 100 people participated in the origami workshops that were held February through November.
The cranes will be shipped to Japan's Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in February with a listing of the names of the peace crane folders.
Soon after the project was started, the huge earthquake and tsunami hit Northeastern Japan. One folding session at the library was dedicated to make cranes to support an initiative by the company OshKosh B'Gosh which donated a piece of clothing to the children effected by the earthquake for every crane folded. A total of 440 cranes were folded and donated to support the program.
Nobuko Okabe has written these words to everyone who helped with the project: "We thank everyone very much for donating time and trying origami with us. Getting together and folding 1,000 cranes to make a wish come true is an old Japanese tradition. We wished for a more peaceful world with no discrimination, prejudice, or bullying, and also hoped to spread the beautiful art of origami to more people."
