The 20th annual World Tree of Hope Lighting Ceremony took place at Grace Cathedral on December 8, 2025. Presented by the Rainbow World Fund (RWF), the tree—the world’s largest origami-decorated holiday tree—has transformed the cathedral into a global sanctuary of peace, unity, and hope illuminated by 20,000 hand-folded origami cranes carrying wishes from people in over 100 countries.
The World Tree of Hope began in 2006 under then-Mayor Gavin Newsom and has grown into an international tradition. Wishes sent from around the world—from children, global leaders, refugees, religious leaders, activists, celebrities, and others—are printed, folded into origami cranes, and placed on the tree as a symbol of collective hope. Such symbolism dates back to the 1955 story Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, written a decade after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the bombing. (See the December 4, 2025, issue of the San Francisco Bay Times for more information.)
A Night of Community, Culture & Global Connection
Hosted by San Francisco Bay Times columnist and performer Donna Sachet and Emmy Award–winning journalist Dion Lim, this year’s Lighting Ceremony brought together numerous attendees and viewers to honor two decades of the World Tree of Hope and its mission: turning individual wishes into a collective symbol of compassion.
The ceremony included reflections from RWF Founder and Executive Director Jeff Cotter; origami master Linda Mibara; Rev. Alan Matsui, who is the child of an atomic bomb survivor; Dean Malcolm Clemens Young; Deputy Consul General of Japan Takeshi Ishihara; and State Senator Scott Wiener. A performance from the San Francisco Boys Chorus opened the evening.
Published on December 18, 2025
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