Mazda New Zealand is delighted to have donated $20,000 to Make-A-Wish New Zealand to help grant the wishes of critically ill Kiwi children. According to Japanese tradition, folding 1,000 paper cranes gives you a chance to make one special wish come true and, as part of the Paper Cranes Project, Mazda New Zealand donated $1,000 for every 1,000 cranes it received.
The origami cranes were originally popularised through the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who survived the atomic explosion in Hiroshima but was diagnosed with leukaemia from the radiation. While she was in hospital, a fellow patient told her about the legend of the cranes and inspired her to begin folding her own. Sasaki had exceeded her goal of 1,000 cranes when she died at the age of 12. After her death, Sasaki’s friends and schoolmates raised funds to build the Children’s Peace Monument to her and all the children who had died from the effects of the atomic bomb. At the foot of the statue is a plaque that reads, “This is our cry. This is our prayer. Build peace in the world.” The focus of the monument has since been expanded to remember all the child victims of world conflicts.
Due to Covid-19, visitors to Hiroshima have diminished and consequently the number of paper cranes left at the monument has greatly decreased. The past 12 months have been extremely tough for many people and the Paper Cranes Project, which symbolises a bright future and hope for children, has taken on even greater significance.
