The Fillmore Soroptimists are raising funds to bring a limestone Peace Pole to City Hall. The pole will say “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in seven languages, and will be dedicated in a ceremony on September 21, 2010.

The Fillmore High School “S” Club is organizing workshops to make 1000 or more origami (Japanese paper folding) cranes to incorporate into the dedication. These workshops will begin this month (see below) and continue until September 2010. For each workshop there will be a suggested donation of $1 per person. Donations go towards the purchase, shipment, and installment of the Peace Pole and toward the “S” Club.

In Japan, crane-making has become a historical tradition. After the bombing of Hiroshima in World War Two, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was built. Sadako Sasaki, a young girl diagnosed with leukemia after the bombing, was inspired to make cranes because as a Japanese saying goes: “to make 1000 cranes is to have a wish granted.” She passed away before she could finish, but her friends graciously completed them and buried them with her. In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was revealed at the park. At the foot of the statue is a plaque that reads, “This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world “A glass case was also installed at the park, where Japanese come from all over to pay respects and leave cranes in the case.

Our cranes will represent Fillmore's wish for Peace in our community, our nation, and our planet. Therefore, the cranes can be all shapes, sizes, and colors! We invite anyone and everyone to be involved.

Please help us out! Paper for the cranes will be provided, as well as written instructions on how to make the cranes. In addition, Nanako Matsumoto, a Japanese exchange student attending the high school, will demonstrate crane making. We welcome you to contribute as many cranes as you'd like and to include a personal peace wish on any or all of your cranes.

The first workshop will be Wednesday, December 30 at the Methodist Church, 421 Sespe Ave. ( the corner of Sespe and Fillmore St.). We will begin at 4:30 pm and finish roughly 6:30.We'll keep you posted for upcoming workshops. Thank you!

Questions? More ideas? Contact Faith/Rees family: 524 2520 or 524 4856.