It’s not often that someone could confidently say they have enough paper cranes folded to fill a pool.
But Goulburn Valley Libraries could.
Across their library locations, Goulburn Valley Libraries called on the community to come in and make a paper crane for the United Nations International Day of Peace.
These cranes will be sent over, alongside millions of other paper cranes from around the world, to Hiroshima to be displayed behind the Children’s Peace Monument.
But before that happens, community members can see the cranes displayed at each library location on International Day of Peace on Thursday, September 21.
The libraries span Shepparton, Tatura, Avenel, Cobram, Euroa, Mooroopna, Nagambie, Nathalia, Numurkah, Violet Town and Yarrawonga, as well as their mobile library.
The official count, as of Wednesday, September 20 afternoon, was 13,995 paper cranes.
However, program coordinator for Goulburn Valley Libraries Bronwyn Cole said she was expecting at least another 1000 in the coming 24 hours.
“We didn’t restrict it to people that were only able to come into one of our workshops,” Ms Cole said.
“We know that hundreds and thousands of them have actually come in from people making them at home.
“We also got a bit of a surprise as some of the smallest ones still managed to reach 1000.”
However, taking out the top spot for the most amount of paper cranes made is Tatura Library.
Its most updated total has come to a whopping 3728.
Tatura Library manager Kerrie Douglas said it was an achievement she didn’t think they’d reach.
“I didn’t think we were going to hit 1000 — it was daunting, and then we edged closer and closer, and I thought we’re going to hit 2000, then it was like we’re going to hit 3000, and now we’re looking like we’re going to hit 4000,” she said.
“The Tatura community has been amazing on this project, and I have to say it has shocked me that so many people got behind it.
“It makes me really proud.”
In line with the day’s theme of peace, the activity brought out more than just the aim of completing the task for many participants.
And so much so that regular participant Lois Orr took the time to write a poem on the group’s time folding loosely based off Banjo Paterson’s The Man From Snowy River.
The Great Paper Crane Challenge by Lois Orr
There was movement at the library for the word had filtered out
That paper cranes were needed by the score
Each branch was set a target of a thousand, round about,
But Tatura aimed to get a thousand more.
So origami folders from the township joined the force
And gathered at the library when allowed
For the townsfolk love a challenge and this was one of course
And they aimed to make the township very proud.
There was Dean, the master folder, to show us how it’s done
And Sherrie was there to lend a helping hand
Barb, Marg, Anne and Lois came along to have some fun
Kerrie, Nadine and Edna joined the band
Pete, Steven, Liz and Natalie were some others in the crew
And others came and went along the way
But crane numbers kept increasing as we wanted them to do
Two thousand wasn’t very far away
We overcame a paper shortage by each raiding our own stash
There was no thought of calling it a day
Two thousand was our target, which we planned to smash
No matter what was thrown our way.
Paper cranes made at the library, paper cranes made in the shed
Paper cranes were made wherever that we could
Some made at the kitchen table and others while in bed.
Some were rough and others were quite good.
When the origami cranes are gone and the challenge has been met,
‘Paper Cranes Anonymous’ is what we’ll need
‘Cause we’ll all have withdrawal symptoms, no more paper folds to set
It’s an addiction that we can no longer feed.
But it’s been fun while we’ve been folding here,
New people we have met
And if there’s a challenge on next year
We may be folding yet!
Total paper cranes
Avenel: 1088
Cobram: 620
Euroa: 420
Mobile Library: 1942
Mooroopna: 1244
Nathalia: 1263
Numurkah: 630
Shepparton: 1713
Tatura: 3728
Violet Town: 567
Yarrawonga: 780
Total:
13995