Social Entrepreneurship in First Year Experience Classes

November 19, 2010

During the Spring 2010 semester, Sarah Barrett completed her fundraising proposal project for Dr. Dena Hale’s First Year Experience (FYE 1220) class.  The Fall 2010 FYE 1220 Elements of Fundraising classes have undertaken Sarah’s project to raise funds for children who have battled or are currently battling cancer. The money that they are raising is all going to a camp in Decatur, Georgia. The camp is Camp Sunshine, which every year hosts a camp for children fighting cancer.  This isn’t the first time that awareness has been raised with this project but Dr. Dena Hale’s FYE classes have put their own little twist on it.

It all began over fifty years ago, when a young 12 year old girl in Japan named Sadako realized that she had developed leukemia as a consequence of the Hiroshima bomb.  While in the hospital her friend told her the story of the thousand paper cranes. The story went that if Sadako could make a thousand paper cranes God would grant her the wish of making her better and she would live. So Sadako began her journey, ending with six hundred and forty-four cranes and the remainder being completed by classmates in time for her funeral. Sadako did not make it to one thousand paper cranes but her story has lived on.

Since then, more than once, cranes have been made to both comfort children suffering from cancer and to help raise awareness of their daily struggles.  The FYE classes folded over 1500 cranes for their endeavor. And here’s their twist to the story – each of these cranes were sold all over the campus during the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving Break. The cranes will be sent to Camp Sunshine to decorate the cabins of the children staying there. Along with the paper cranes, all of the money raised will be going to the camp as well.

This endeavor was student created, student implemented, and student funded.  So far the students have raised $721.  If you had the opportunity to show your support, the FYE 1220 classes say “Thank You!” If you still wish to help them reach the goal of 1500 paper cranes, and $1500 in donations, donations can be made by contacting Dena Hale, COBA BOX 8154, or via email at denahale@georgiasouthern.edu .  Donations can be made through December 3^rd.  Be sure to show your support for not only this ever existing cause but all of the hard work that these classes have put forward. Your dollar can fly a long way!  Give a crane to ease their pain.