C of I holds fundraiser for Japanese tsunami relief

2011. 03. 17.

The College of Idaho is holding a special Senbazuru fundraiser for the American Red Cross this Friday, March 18, inside McCain Student Center. Members of the C of I community will fold and sell paper cranes for the Senbazuru between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Each crane costs $1, and donations will be used specifically for Japanese tsunami relief.

The Senbazuru comes from an ancient Japanese legend that says a wish will be granted to anyone who folds 1,000 paper cranes. Senbazuru are often given as good luck wishes at weddings, births or to loved ones in the hospital. Senbazuru have become strong symbols of world peace because of the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who died of leukemia following the bombing of Hiroshima at the end of World War II. Sadako was buried with the thousand paper cranes she folded while in the hospital.

The C of I fundraiser was initiated by Parker Bava, a kindergarten student at Riverstone International School in Boise. Bava's father, C of I Dean of Enrollment Brian Bava, spent the better part of his childhood living in Tokyo, Japan.

“The country of Japan is particularly important to me and my family, so the subsequent devastation from the recent earthquake and tsunami has been especially difficult for us,” Brian Bava said. “We thank the community in advance for its support of the Senbazuru, and we look forward to helping you fold a crane on Friday.”

Parker Bava and members of the International Student Organization at C of I will lead the creation of the Senbazuru, which will be hung on campus Friday afternoon. Donations will be accepted in the form of cash or checks made payable to the American Red Cross with “Japanese tsunami relief” in the memo line.

Founded in 1891, The College of Idaho is the state's oldest private liberal arts college. It has a century-old tradition of educating some of the most accomplished graduates in Idaho, including six Rhodes Scholars, three Marshall Scholars, and another ten Truman and Goldwater Scholars. The College is located on a beautiful campus in Caldwell, Idaho. Its distinctive PEAK curriculum challenges students to attain competencies in the four knowledge peaks of the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and a professional field, enabling them to graduate with an academic major and three minors in four years. For more information on The College of Idaho, visit www.collegeofidaho.edu.