Mazda New Zealand is delighted to be donating $20,000 to Make A Wish Foundation New Zealand to help grant wishes of critically ill Kiwi children.

With the help of New Zealanders and Mazda dealers around the country, over 20,000 origami paper cranes were made to send to Hiroshima where they will be placed on the Children’s Peace Monument in Memorial Park. 

According to Japanese tradition, folding 1000 paper cranes gives you a chance to make one special wish come true. This year Mazda New Zealand set a goal of reaching 20,000 paper cranes with $1000 being donated for every 1000 cranes folded.

David Hodge, Mazda New Zealand Managing Director, says this year’s paper cranes project exceeded expectations with New Zealanders around the country getting on board with their local Mazda dealerships to fold paper cranes. 

“To see us hit our goal and donate $20,000 to the Make A Wish Foundation is something every Kiwi can be proud of. We would like to thank everyone who folded a paper crane over the last month, including all the incredible schools who collectively made many thousands of cranes in this time,” said Hodge.

With Mazda’s Corporate Headquarters based in Hiroshima, this project holds deep significance to the Mazda Motor Corporation globally, said Hodge.

The paper cranes have been sent to Hiroshima to be hung at the Children’s Peace Monument which was built to remember a young Japanese girl called Sadako Sasaki and the children who died from the effects of the atomic bomb.

Sasaki, who initially survived the explosion, was diagnosed with leukaemia from the radiation. While in hospital a fellow patient told her about the legend of the cranes which inspired her to begin folding paper cranes. Sasaki had exceeded her goal of 1000 cranes when she died.