Photos courtesy of Rainbow World Fund
The 20th World Tree of Hope presented by the organization Rainbow World Fund, the world’s first LGBTQ+-based humanitarian aid, is now on display at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco through January 9, 2026. Called “the most hopeful tree in the world,” the World Tree of Hope is the largest origami-decorated holiday tree globally. Standing 22-feet tall, it is adorned with over 20,000 hand-folded origami cranes, each inscribed with a wish for a better world. The submissions come from school children, world leaders, and others. The towering tree fills Grace Cathedral, turning individual hopes into a collective symbol of global unity, peace, hope, and love.
80th Anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings
In addition to 2025 being the 20th anniversary of the World Tree of Hope, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, which took place on the morning of August 6, 1945. The U.S. B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped the bomb that killed an estimated 140,000 due to injuries, burns, and radiation sickness. At least 60,000 others died later from cancer and other illnesses associated with the bomb.
Yet another atomic bomb was dropped by the U.S. B-29 bomber Bockscar three days later, on August 9, in Nagasaki, killing an additional 70,000–80,000. It is believed that generations of individuals from Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and surrounding regions have suffered long-term health consequences due, not only to the direct effects, but also to latent fetal and genetic effects. There is also a lasting social and political legacy.
Significance of Origami Cranes
In 1955, the origami crane became a worldwide symbol of peace when the world learned the story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Ten years after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, 12-year-old Sadako Sasaki contracted leukemia. While in the hospital, a friend told her about a Japanese legend that said folding a thousand paper cranes would grant one wish. Her wish to be healed grew into a wish for peace for all the world. Sadako died 356 cranes short of her goal. Her classmates folded the rest, and all 1,000 were buried with her.
A children’s campaign honoring Sadako’s hope, strength, and determination led to the creation of the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima’s Peace Park. Sadako’s most well-known wish was, “I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world.” Sadako’s hope, strength, and determination were the inspiration for the World Tree of Hope.
A Global Tradition, Rooted in San Francisco
A vast community effort makes the World Tree of Hope possible. A diverse team of volunteers throughout the Bay Area, including members of San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ and Japanese American communities, survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, local children, and even life-sentence prisoners from San Quentin, dedicate weeks to folding cranes by hand that decorate the tree. Through this collective effort, personal messages take flight.
Reflecting on what this effort represents, Rainbow World Fund Executive Director Jeff Cotter says, “At a time when so many people are searching for light, the Rainbow World Fund World Tree of Hope shines with the collective wishes of thousands. The origami cranes on the tree are more than paper; they are expressions of courage, love, and belief in a future where all people can thrive. We create the tree as a symbol of global unity and as a celebration of the power of hope—how essential it is to our survival, our healing, and humanity. We hope that everyone who visits the tree feels uplifted and inspired to take action to create a better world.”
Grace Cathedral’s Dean, the Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young, values the partnership and its meaning to the Cathedral: “This tree reflects what we believe at Grace Cathedral: that all are welcome, all are loved, and all have a place in the story of hope. We’re proud to partner with Rainbow World Fund and the LGBTQ+ and friends community to uplift a vision of peace and belonging that embraces the whole world.”
How to Participate
Anyone, anywhere in the world, can submit a wish online to be added to the 2025 World Tree of Hope. Each wish is folded into a crane and placed on the tree at Grace Cathedral. Submitting a wish is free. Wishes will be added to the tree throughout December and are accepted year-round.
Submit your wish at https://www.worldtreeofhope.org/
You are also invited to attend the Tree Lighting Ceremony on Monday, December 8, 2025, from 6:30–8 pm at Grace Cathedral. Co-hosted by drag legend and San Francisco Bay Times columnist Donna Sachet and former ABC7 anchor Dion Lim, the program will include:
• performances by the Grammy Award-winning San Francisco Boys Chorus, The Conspiracy of Beards, and vocalist Leberta Lorál with pianist Tammy L. Hall;
• presentations by the Emperor and Empress of the Imperial Court of San Francisco, a blessing and countdown from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and remarks from the Dean and Bishop of Grace Cathedral;
• the Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young leading the exchange of origami peace cranes with Deputy Consul General of Japan Takeshi Ishihara;
• Consul General of Germany Theo Kindness recognizing Rainbow World Fund’s life-saving Afghan refugee program;
• and, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings in Japan, Rev. Alan Matsui, a child of a bombing survivor, offering a call for world peace and a reflection on the tree’s mission to transform remembrance into hope.
Although the event is free, guests are encouraged to register in advance at https://bit.ly/4rtwkw1
20,000 Wishes Take Flight on 20th World Tree of Hope
Published on December 4, 2025
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