For Immediate Release
Contact: Sandy Jones — (805) 965-3443 — sjones@napf.org
Santa Barbara, CA – The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) will host the 20th Annual Sadako Peace Day to remember the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and all innocent victims of war. The event will be held Wednesday, August 6, from 6:00-7:00 p.m., under the oaks and sycamores in the Sadako Peace Garden at La Casa de Maria Retreat Center, 800 El Bosque Road, in Montecito.
There will be poetry, music and reflections commemorating the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl from Hiroshima who died of radiation-induced leukemia as a result of the atomic bombing. Japanese legend holds that one’s wish will be granted upon folding 1,000 paper cranes. Sadako set out to fold those 1,000 paper cranes. On one she wrote, “I will write peace on your wings, and you will fly all over the world.” Sadly, Sadako died without regaining her health. Students in Japan were so moved by her story that they began folding paper cranes, too. Today the paper crane is an international symbol of peace and a statue of Sadako now stands in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
The event is a time to reflect on the past in hopes of building a more peaceful future. This year’s keynote speaker will be Mr. Rob Laney, Vice Chair of NAPF and a strong and vocal advocate of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons as required by international law. There will also be a paper crane folding workshop by Peace Crane Project and refreshments after the ceremony. The event is free and open to the public.
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The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons, and to empower peace leaders. Founded in 1982, the Foundation is comprised of individuals and organizations worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations. For more information, visit www.wagingpeace.org.