Vietnamese club selling crane chains

The Vietnamese Club sold paper crane chains during 5A lunch on Nov. 17 for $0.75 to benefit the Saigon Children's Charity. Due to great demand, the club decided to sell the ornaments this Friday as well.

Thirty-four of the original 38 chains were sold during the 45-minute period. In total, the club sold $25.50 worth of the chains, resulting in a profit of slightly more than $15.50.

Club members were surprised by the large demand for the paper crane ornaments. "We didn't expect this many people to want one,” said senior Sarah Tran, secretary of the Vietnamese Club.

English teacher Edamarie Mattei originally bought six of the vibrant chains, but later returned to purchase an additional three. "Everybody wanted them,” said Mattei. "They're beautiful, and it's for a good cause.”

The foot-long chains, each containing seven to eight of the multihued paper cranes, hung from a small stand around which admiring Blazers examined the merchandise. Small beads were threaded between each paper crane, separating them. Some chains featured different-colored birds or bigger beads. A bold sign above the table proclaimed, "Vietnamese Club fundraising for World Day. Note: All profits will go to the Saigon Children's Charity.”

The trinkets were made last Wednesday at a Vietnamese Club meeting in a mix of experienced origami artists and amateur paper folders. "Some people were making these for the first time, and they did a really good job,” said Tran.

Making a chain was a very time consuming process for the newly initiated paper folders. "It can take [an inexperienced folder] up to five minutes for just one crane. With seven or eight cranes, that's about half an hour for each chain,” said Tran.