'You Are Loved:' Kids Worldwide Offer Comfort to Japanese Counterparts

“I wish in all my heart that you are okay and you have enough food,” wrote Liz Beth, 8, from Maryland.

“I hope that you are okay, I send all my love,” wrote Anna Sophia, 10, from Switzerland.

“I am thinking about you. I am praying for you. I am so sad that there has been so much damage to your country. You are loved,” wrote Jane, 7, from Oklahoma.

“We lift you up in prayer,” a brother and sister ages two and three from Nevada. 

“We hope that you will be settled again into your home and school very soon,” wrote Mia, 10, from New Jersey.

These words from children around the world center around one goal–sending a message to children suffering in Japan that they’re not alone. 

They come from the minds and hearts of young children who, thanks to two local dads, now have a way to express their feelings using a new site that launched Friday: Cranes for Kids.

Jim Robinson and Kurt Dommermuth started the website through their day job, KneeBouncers, which they operate out of an office on Main Street, Sykesville, MD.

“I think we were all struck by what happened in Japan and it’s sad," said Dommermuth. "It was devastating to watch in the news and to imagine how those people must feel.”

A week ago, the minds behind KneeBouncers offered on their facebook page to donate all proceeds from membership fees to the Red Cross. But after brainstorming with friends, the idea surfaced of sharing not just money but messages and kind words as well.

Using their backgrounds in web design, the idea came to reality in less than 48 hours.

“It was something I felt that we needed to get behind because we just raised some money but raising the mindfulness of what was happening over there and sending good thoughts to people over there we thought that was as important as the money would be,” said Robinson.

“It’s also an opportunity for our audience to get their kids involved in social events like this because everyone’s seeing it and you can’t keep your kids from it right now. It’s on TV everywhere and you know they’re asking the questions. Well here’s a good way to let them send their best wishes and hopes for healing to the people of Japan.”  

With just a few steps, parents or children can participate in the growing message board. It’s as simple as logging on, picking the color of a paper crane to represent your message and entering a name, age, city, state and country in addition to a “message of hope.”

Since its launch on March 18, the site has logged 153 messages from seven countries and 19 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., representing children as young as 2.

Robinson and Dommermuth run the site through Knee Bouncers, a gaming site designed for the young gamer. The site offers 22 games that don’t require young children to use a mouse.

“You just go to the site and pick a game and start pounding on the keyboard,” said Robinson. “There’s a lot of cause and effect type things and big and bright colorful graphics. A whole lot of fun for the itty bitty ones.”

The two got together in 2003, creating the website just for their families until they realized it could be bigger.

“We made it just for our family and Jim had shared it with his sister and it started to spread with her when she brought it to a mommy group and since then literally millions of families have come to the website and always by word of mouth,” said Dommermuth.

With the newest site, the two dads are unsure if victims of the tragedies in Japan are reading the comments, but they have plans to sending a printout of the comments to the Red Cross.

“For us it’s just sending out good vibrations to them and good thoughts," said Robinson.

To send a message for those suffering in Japan, visit the Cranes for Kids website here.