Sunday, April 3, 2011

So exactly what is a Peace Crane???

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Find out by attending a special presentation at the Smiley Library in Redlands on Tuesday, April 12th at 6:30pm. (See press release below.) This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about this important part of California history which took place during WWII. Youth and older children are welcome to attend. The presentation, given by the Riverside Metropolitan Museum’s curator, will last about an hour.

Following the presentation, attendees will be able to view displays from the period and they will be invited to learn how to make origami cranes for the museum’s Peace Crane Project. That’s where we come in. We have been asked to provide volunteers who can teach how to make the paper cranes. We are looking for 4 to 6 of you who could help. We have had some great teachers, including youth, at workday and at other activities, so if you can help us out for the short time needed that evening, please let us know.

If you’re new, and don’t know the purpose for our making all these cranes: we were invited to participate with the Redlands Sister Cities Association in collaboration with this museum in the California Paper Crane Peace Project.  The goal is, “to make 92,785 origami cranes - one for every person from California who was sent to a Japanese American internment camp, during World War II.” http://www.riversideca.gov/museum/exhibit-22.asp.

We are hoping to have 1000 cranes to present that night, and are getting very close. If you have been making cranes at home or with your youth group, etc., let us know so we can add them to our flock in time to present them at this event. (The need for cranes does not end that night – so keep making them!)

Thanks for the donations of origami paper which have allowed us to create a beautiful and colorful flock of peace cranes. We’ve almost used up what you’ve given us, so it’s time to ask for more. Thanks!

Here’s the press release set to come out in the next couple of days in area newspapers:

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The Harada Family of Riverside, California, Redlands, California Japanese American Community and the California Peace Crane Project

Redlands, CA – The Redlands Sister Cities Association in partnership with the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, A.K. Smiley Public Library, and Cal-State University, San Bernardino is hosting a special evening presentation on Tuesday, April 12th at 6:30 p.m. at the A.K. Smiley Public Library located at 125 W. Vine St., Redlands.

The presentation will feature introductory remarks by Anna Robles, President of the Redlands Sister Cities Association. Lynn Voorheis, Museum Curator of Historic Structures, Riverside Metropolitan Museum, will present the story of the Harada family of Riverside from their immigration from Japan at the turn of the century through their WWII experiences and return to Riverside. Don McCue, Archivist and Head of Special Collections, A.K. Smiley Public Library will provide remarks on the Redlands Japanese American community during WWII.

At the end of the presentation, volunteers will teach everyone how to make origami cranes to add to over 2,000 cranes already made by the Redlands residents for the Riverside Metropolitan Museum California Peace Crane project.

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“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

-Leo Buscaglia

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