Students can raise two dollars per paper crane for victims of the Japanese earthquakes and tsunamis by folding them at home and Monday at lunch. More paper crane images can be found here.

– Courtesy of Flickr through Creative Commons licensing

Students can raise money and awareness for victims of the Japanese earthquake on Monday, April 18, by folding paper cranes during lunch at the quad.

According to Career Advisor Christina Owen, students will earn two dollars per crane from the Jeff Bezos Family Foundation, which will donate the money to Architecture for Humanity, a Japanese reconstruction organization. 

Owen says that she hopes to have 1000 cranes folded during lunch, but added that students can fold cranes over spring break so that they can raise even more money for victims in Japan. 

“Many students are folding cranes during spring break, so we already have over 1000 folded,” Owen said.

The 1000 cranes symbolize something special in Japan. If someone can fold 1000 will have one wish granted according to Japanese legend. 

Owen says that the project was started because there were many students, staff and families who were affected by the devastation in Japan.

“This [event] is mainly to give students a chance to make a difference in our small way and to show support for the victims of these disasters and their families,” Owen said. 

For students who don’t know how to build paper cranes, Owen says that Japanese teacher Teruko Kamikihara’s Japnese class will help students learn to fold their own cranes at the event.

“They [Kamikihara’s students] will wear a red yarn on their wrist to let others know who they are,” Owen said.

Students can click here for instructions on how to fold a crane if they would like to learn early.

Owen hopes that people will take the time to participate in the event.

“This [event] will be a unifying community service activity, and all Paly students, teachers and staff are invited to share a few minutes of their time during lunch to show support of those still suffering in Japan,” Owen said.

For more information, click here.