Calgary teens to donate 1,000 paper cranes, $1,200 worth of toys to Alberta Children's Hospital

A group of Calgary teenagers are celebrating the Lunar New Year a month early this year — by donating roughly $1,200 worth of toys and 1,000 paper cranes to the Alberta Children's Hospital.

It's part of their work with the Calgary chapter of the cultural non-profit youth organization, Link CC, which stands for Canada China.

They meet regularly to teach each other new skills, host a bi-weekly cultural exchange program with elementary students in China, and plan events to fundraise money for hospital donations.

"I used to be one of the Alberta Children's Hospital patients," said the organization's president Bolo Wang, who still goes to the hospital for regular checkups on his kidneys.

He says when he was younger, the main thing that helped calm his nerves in the hospital was the toys he'd receive from staff.

"When I was a child, doctor's offices were scary and the toys did a lot to help comfort me. So I just want to give back to the kids there, give back to the hospital and bring joy."

Some of the toys that will be in the hands of Alberta Children's Hospital patients this weekend. (Karina Zapata/CBC)

Link CC purchased over 150 toys for donation from the roughly $1,200 they raised during events last year.

1,000 cranes for recovery, hope

As for the paper cranes, the group started making them as an activity during summer camp.

But Selina Zhou says the origami figures hold greater significance than just being a bright fixture — there's a Japanese legend that anyone who folds 1,000 paper cranes within one year will be granted their most-desired wish.

"These cranes are actually inspired by the Japanese story of this little girl [Sadako] who got sick. She was folding 1,000 paper cranes to hopefully get better one day. Unfortunately, she did not recover before she finished the project, but the myth says that her friends finished it for her."

Zhou says she hopes this initiative can act as a continuation of young Sadako's story, and bring hope to patients' recovery journeys.

The members of Link CC started folding the paper cranes during summer camp. (Monty Kruger/CBC)

For Bingxuan Yang, it's all about sending a message to children in the hospital that they aren't alone.

"I hope that when they see these cranes hanging on the walls … that they feel comfortable, and feel like it's a safe environment," said Yang.

"The last thing we want for children is to feel isolated, and it's important to give them the support they need to nurture their confidence since they're growing up."

Xueqi Yang says it was quite a feat to complete the cranes and fundraise money for the toys, so she's happy that it has all come together.

"I just feel really excited because we started in the summer, and I've been having this aspiration to donate this for a very long time now," she said.

Elina Yuan says she's looking forward to seeing the crane art project hung on the walls of the hospital.

"It's really exciting to see that it's going to be donated to the hospital and that it's actually going to have an impact on the kids."

The group will be delivering the donations to the hospital on Sunday, ahead of Lunar New Year on Feb. 10.