PITTSBURGH — Students as far away as China and Italy are joining “Operation Sandy Hook: Peace to You,” an effort to fold and send at least 1,000 origami peace cranes to Newtown, Conn., in sympathy for victims of last week’s
PITTSBURGH — Students as far away as China and Italy are joining “Operation Sandy Hook: Peace to You,” an effort to fold and send at least 1,000 origami peace cranes to Newtown, Conn., in sympathy for victims of last week’s deadly shooting of children and teachers.
The project is being led by a Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School student, Calista Frederick-Jaskiewicz, 16, of Wexford, Pa., through her role as founder and CEO of Origami Salami, a student organization promoting the ancient art of folding paper into shapes of animals.
Calista said the idea originated with Sebastian Tabares of Denver, the youngest among leaders of the seven nationwide Origami Salami chapters.
“The seven chapters of Origami Salami invite the folders of the world to join us in folding peace cranes to send to the Sandy Hook Elementary School,” Frederick-Jaskiewicz posted on her group’s Facebook page.
Fueled by Internet postings of supporters, the project is receiving dozens of pledges from across the United States and around the world, including one from Origami Italia and another from Chinese students, to fold and send peace cranes.
“A number of teachers across the country are teaching the crane lesson plan and then sending in their classroom peace cranes,” Frederick-Jaskiewicz said in a statement. “Origami Italia has posted photos of the rainbow cranes they are sending. All seven chapters of Origami Salami are folding. Boston has more than 100; Denver folded at an Audubon Society of Greater Denver event on Saturday; Denver and Sugar Land are leading classes at school this week.”
Origami Salami has chapters in Pittsburgh, Boston, Cincinnati, Austin, Indianapolis, Denver and Sugar Land, Texas.
“Folding for Good” is the name it goes by for community service projects.
Several organizations, Frederick-Jaskiewicz said, “are endorsing this as an effective way to help children deal with fear and grief generated by the tragedy.”
Folded paper cranes have become an international symbol of peace through the sad but inspiring story of Sadako Sasaki, a girl who survived the blast of the Hiroshima atomic bomb but died of leukemia 10 years later, at age 12, as a result of radiation exposure.
Folders are asked to mail cranes before Jan. 1 to: Origami Salami, PO Box 1324, Wexford, PA, USA, 15090-1324.
