1,000 caring wishes folded into cranes; Bartlett students inspired by book.

Byline: Carol McDonald

A 12th-grade advisory class at Bartlett Junior Senior High School in Webster, led by Bartlett art teachers Rebecca Osborn and Sean Harrington, has begun a community service project inspired by the book "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes," by Eleanor Coerr.

The 1977 book, inspired by a true story, tells of a young Japanese girl who becomes ill with leukemia from radiation released in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima before she was born. While she is in the hospital the girl, Sadako, learns a legend from a friend that says that a person will be granted a wish if they succeed in folding 1,000 origami cranes. Sadako, who would have wished to get better, died after completing only 648 paper cranes. Her classmates, though, folded the rest so that she could be buried with 1,000 of the beautiful creations.

The Bartlett students are folding 1,000 paper cranes to be given to Why Me and Sherry's House. Why Me is a nonprofit charitable organization serving children with cancer and their families. Its Sherry's House in Worcester, which opened in 2003 at 1152 Pleasant St., provides a "safe haven" for these families.

Sherry's House is named in honor of a 13-year-old Shrewsbury girl, Sherry Shepherd, who died from cancer in 1985; her father, Terance J. Shepherd, is a founder of Why Me Inc.

"In honor of Sadako Sasaki, Sherry Shepherd, and all children suffering from childhood cancer, our advisory will install our 1,000 paper cranes at `Why Me/Sherry's House' to lift the spirits and warm the hearts of their house guests, as the stories of Sadako and Sherry have lifted the spirits and warmed the hearts of so many," Mrs. Osborn said.

She said the Why Me staff enthusiastically agreed to the proposal, and a contingent from the school has been to Sherry's House to scout out an appropriation location to install the cranes.

"Students from our advisory taught their friends and family members how to fold cranes, causing a school-wide crane-folding phenomenon," Mrs. Osborn said. "Students of all ages now pour into the art room before school, between classes and after school to put cranes into the crane bin."

While the careful paper-folders work to reach the 1,000 mark, cranes are hanging 10-per-string in the glass display case in the school lobby so that the entire Bartlett community can watch the beautiful display grow, and appreciate the effort and good wishes it represents.

Mrs. Osborn said the paper cranes will be installed at Sherry's House sometime next month.

ART: PHOTOS

PHOTOG: SUBMITTED PHOTOS

CUTLINE: (1) Members of the senior advisory class at Bartlett show some of the cranes they've made for Sherry's House. In the back row, from left, are Tim Schiavone, Andrew Trottier, John Sztuka, Jessica Stelmach, Stephen Wood, Nick Radcliffe and art teacher Sean Harrington; in front row, from left, are art teacher Rebecca Osborn, Anna Rogowska, Janeidy Santos, Jess Tawczynski, Enid Rodriguez, Abby Tetreault and Jessica Tetreault. (2) Andrew Trottier, left, reminds fellow Bartlett students John Sztuka, middle, and Tim Schiavone of the many steps involved in making an origami crane.