An old legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury.
A young school girl from Southern California has created one thousand cranes to be sent to earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan, in a gesture of hope and goodwill.
10-year-old Taylor Vaughn was shocked by the images on television of children suffering after Japan's worst earthquake on record and resulting tsunami.
Determined to help raise funds for the relief effort, Taylor joined forces with Project HOPE, an international humanitarian aid and health education organization.
During her research, she came upon the old Japanese legend of origami cranes and decided this was the ideal fundraiser.
She then organized an origami workshop with a group of her school friends from Pasadena, California.
The girls managed to create the one thousand cranes in just two weeks, getting together after school or during recess in order to meet their goal.
[Taylor Vaughn, American School Girl]:
"I thought of Japanese culture and I thought about origami and I found out that these cranes represent good wishes, prosperity, hope and good luck.”
The Japanese Consul General, Junichi Ihara, invited Vaughn and her friends to join him in the Japanese Consulate of Los Angeles in order to present their gift.
[Junichi Ihara, Japanese Consul General Of Los Angeles]:
"In view of these tremendous disaster we need a number of, not weeks or months but, years to recover the areas and sustaining support is very important. This is a very good sign that people here think about the victims."
In addition to the cranes, Vaughn has managed to raise over 2,000 dollars in donations.
The money and the cranes will be sent to school children in disaster ravaged regions of Japan.
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