In July 2024, the bronze statue of Sadako Sasaki was stolen from the Seattle Peace Park, which is located in the University District. The statue commemorated Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who died of leukemia 10 years after the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945. While hospitalized, she folded 1,300 paper cranes, a symbol of peace, hope and healing in Japanese culture. The statue was erected in 1990. Right away, people started bringing and hanging strings of paper cranes all over the statue, to the point that oftentimes you could not see the statue.

The statue was sawed off at the ankles and stolen in July 2024. A community effort to replace the statue, renew the park, and promote peace has resulted in the Sadako Renewal Project. A new artist, Saya Moriyasu, was selected in May 2025. In her presentation to our club, she will describe her plan for the Peace Park, which will include features that:

• Respect the relationship to place
• Use safe, durable materials that cannot be damaged and are not at risk of theft
• Educate the visitors to the park and encourage meaningful and respectful behavior
• Incorporate an interactive design
• Promote inclusivity and social justice

Needless to say, this is a program you won’t want to miss!

Pay for your lunch ahead of time: (Lunch Ticket for 1)
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