Club folds cranes for Japan relief

Issue 26, Laurin Peters - By Laurin Peters on Thursday, April 21, 2011 - 22:52

In response to the recent tragedy in Japan, Whittier College’s Spanish Club created the crane project. The project will help clothe thousands of children affected by the recent earthquakes and tsunami in Japan. For every crane that is made, Osh Kosh B’Gosh stores will send an article of clothing to the Osh Kosh B’Gosh store in Japan.

These stores will be accepting cranes through April 25. In turn, Osh Kosh will donate up to 50,000 articles of clothing. By working on this service project the Spanish Club wants to show the student body that they are not just focused on Spanish speaking countries alone, but would also like to help out other countries in need.

“We want to overcome the language barrier and show that we are not just focused on Spanish speaking countries so that we can expand and focus on the entire world,” Spanish club publicist first-year Rebecca Raya said.

Thus far, Spanish club members and volunteers have made 400 cranes and have a goal of reaching 1,000.

“I’ve been making cranes and helping the people in Japan. It was really interesting because I’m not into arts and crafts,” treasurer junior Juan Pablo Bustos said. “ We all came together to see what projects we can do, we are very open minded and culturally aware of other countries in the world.”

Upon completion of this project, cranes will be sent to the nearest Osh Kosh store at the Citadel Outlets in Commerce, Calif. In Japanese culture, cranes are a powerful symbol of health and well wishes. In fact, the Japanese believe that anyone who makes 1,000 origami cranes will have a wish granted.