WCU Students Raise Funds for Japan: These Paper Cranes will Fly a Long Way

After the March 11th Earthquake and consequent tsunami in Japan, Western Carolina University students joined together to raise funds for disaster relief in Japan by folding origami paper cranes and selling those cranes for $1.

Today several of these students and their faculty advisors gathered at WCU's International Festival in order to present the American Red Cross with a substantial amount of funds raised.

But why cranes? An instructor in the Japanese department and a faculty advisor to the students in the International Studies program, Yumiko Ono explained that cranes are a symbol of peace in the Japanese culture and was quoted in the Asheville-Citizen Times as stating that: “Because of the devastating situation, it was only natural to think that the paper crane would be appropriate to wish for peace as well as contributing to the earthquake relief fund in Japan.”

Campus visitors, students and faculty could make at least a $1 donation to the efforts in Japan by purchasing one of these paper origami cranes.

Many faculty and students in the Japanese program at WCU have been touched by such efforts on the part of their campus community. In particular, Anna Hunt, a junior originally from a city outside of Tokyo, had trouble reaching her father and grandparents after news broke out about the earthquake. She estimated that she tried to call her family 20 to 30 times before finally speaking with them. She was quoted in The Reporter, the WCU student newspaper, as saying:

“I thought I had lost them. Now, all I think about is those people who still have a person missing or who have lost someone,” said Hunt. “I think it’s good we are raising money for people who need it."

The funds presented to the American Red Cross today will go a long way to relieve the devastation in Japan. Currently, there are nearly 200,000 people in Red Cross shelters in Japan who are being offered food, hygiene products and even hot showers. In addition, the Red Cross is funding half of the UN World Food Program's efforts in Japan, which is focused primarily on the delivery and storage of relief items. And lastly, of course there are thousands of Japanese Red Cross volunteers working on medical teams, disaster response teams and shelter teams.

Want to spread some peace of your own? Learn how to make an origami paper crane below.

3rd Place: Help Out Before We Run Out

The Red Cross saw amazing turn out for the MOFILM PSA/Short Film Competition. We'll be sharing the top 5 entries with you. So without further ado, this is the 3rd Place Entry titled Help Out Before We Run Out by Anne Barliant.

It might just inspire you to donate now.

4th Place: Animated States

The Red Cross saw amazing turn out for the MOFILM PSA/Short Film Competition. We'll be sharing the top 5 entries with you. So without further ago, this is the 4th place entry titled Animated States by Nick Murray Willis.

It might just inspire you to donate now.

Weekly Worldwide Wrap-Up

Welcome to the Weekly Worldwide Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

JAPAN: Red Cross relief in Japan is more than food and blankets. Psychosocial nurses are helping survivors deal with the emotional impact of disaster, while on the other side of the globe the Irish Red Cross has started an online message board for the public to post messages of support the people of Japan.


SOMALIA: The British Red Cross is supporting Somalia Red Crescent efforts to continue providing food, healthcare, water and sanitation facilities in response to a severe drought.

KENYA: The IFRC and Kenya Red Cross are taking early action to tackle drought.

Côte d'Ivoire: Before the fighting started, the city of Toulepleu had a population of between 40,000 and 50,000. Today, just 3,000 people remain in or near the town. Everyone else has fled. The ICRC and the Red Cross Society of Côte d'Ivoire have begun providing emergency aid for those who remain.

TUNISIA: Red Crescent volunteers have been caring for thousands of migrant workers stuck in the Djerba airport after fleeing the violence in Libya.

LIBYA: In the still unstable city of Ajdabiya, the ICRC and Libyan Red Crescent staff delivered enough lentils, oil, rice, salt, tea and sugar to 15,000 people to cover their needs for a month. They also distributed blankets, cooking sets and hygiene kits.

GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

5th Place: Choices

The Red Cross saw amazing turn out for the MOFILM PSA/Short Film Competition. We'll be sharing the top 5 entries with you, beginning with the 5th place entry titled, Choices by David Zandman.

It might just inspire you to donate now.

Dog Saved by Impromptu CPR

Sugar was incredibly lucky that her trainer was able to perform CPR successfully despite that fact that he had never received any formal instruction. It is nearly impossible, however, that those who haven't been trained in CPR could perform the skill successfully. We are thankful that Sugar was a lucky pup but her story just goes to show the importance of learning Canine or Feline CPR.

Read the full story here or watch below.

Our next Pet First Aid and CPR class is April 16, offered in partnership with the Animal Compassion Network to celebrate National Pet First Aid Awareness Month! Sign up today with the American Red Cross or call (828) 258-3888 ext. 207 or 214.

Animal Lovers Unite!: Pet First Aid with CPR

Make no mistake about it; Asheville is an animal lover’s town.

We’ve got bakeries for dogs, hand-sewn locally-made toys for cats, “Dog is Love” bumper stickers adorning our cars. But how many of us could save the life of one of our furry friends if we had to?

That’s why the Red Cross of WNC in partnership with Animal Compassion Network is offering a one of a kind Pet First Aid with CPR course... just in time for National Pet First Aid Awareness Month! (Yes, it's a real thing! Google it!)

Because even though cats and dogs seem to be able to figure out how to open peanut butter jars (true story!) or unlock fences... they can't always help themselves in a true time of need.


Pet First Aid with CPR training covers the immediate and temporary care given to an injured animal until it can be taken to a professional veterinarian for more advanced attention and treatment. The four-hour course will be held on Saturday, April 16^th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Asheville-Mountain Area Chapter (100 Edgewood Road in North Asheville). Cost of the course is $35 and registration is required. Participants will receive a Pet First Aid manual co-developed with the Humane Society of the United States.

Specifically, the course offers instruction in the following:

• Signs of cardiac arrest and how to care for a pet this circumstance.
• Signs of breathing emergencies, including choking and how best to provide care.
• How to administer rescue breathing to a dog or cat.
• How to control life-threatening bleeding.
• How and when to move an injured pet.
• Signs of sudden illness, including poisoning, seizures, heat and cold emergencies and how to treat them.
• Components of a good “pet friendly” first aid kit.

For additional information on the class and to register, please call 828-258-3888, ext. 207 or simply click here.