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World Beat Fitness (WBF) Center and CafŽ has completed its 'Thousand Origami Cranes' project to correspond with its Think Pink Open Day on Saturday. The project was launched in June and aimed to fold one thousand pink paper cranes held together by strings.

Origami is an ancient Japanese art of paper folding and according to tradition anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury. The 1,000 crane tradition developed in the last century on the land of the rising sun and is the first of its kind in Bahrain.

Jane Goodwin, owner and director of WBF, said: "This is a wonderful gesture that includes individual wishes and is a symbol of hope and unity. We are hoping to gift the thousand cranes to Salmaniya Medical Center's Oncology Unit at the end of October."

Hiroto Asaoka, second secretary at the Japanese Embassy visited the fitness centre and expressed his approval at the outcome of the project. A team of 20 community members and WBF staff completed the 1,000 cranes which are on display at the centre.

Japanese people often give a thousand origami cranes to a sick person in hospital to wish them good health. They also make a popular gift for friends and family as a symbol for long life.