The Anime News Network in association with Tokyopop, Funimation, Bandai Entertainment, Dark Horse Comics, Urban Vision, Animerica and The Right Stuf International has announced a new initiative to bring hope to kids with cancer. Project: New Future is a program designed to encourage and reward North America's anime and manga fans for spending time with children who are fighting cancer. One out of every 330 American children will be afflicted with some form of cancer before reaching adulthood and volunteers who offer hope and friendship can make a difference in what is a frightening and painful experience.
The Full Moon wo Sagashite (aka Eternal Snow) manga series by Tanemura Arina dramatizes the effect that friendship can have on what is at first diagnosed as a terminal disease. Although Full Moon wo Sagashite is a fantasy, the Anime News Network's Jonathan Mays sees it as a model for real world activity telling ICv2: 'I think one of the best things about fantasy is that it can put our lives in a little more perspective. Full Moon wo Sagashite did that for me, so I'm hoping we can take that idea and turn it into something real that helps kids afflicted with cancer.'
In order to encourage anime and manga fans to volunteer at a local children's hospitals or camps, the Anime News Network and the participating publishers will send free anime and manga to all participants who volunteer to help cancer-stricken children. Fans and retailers interested in participating can visit www.projectnewfuture.org or contact the Anime News Network's Jonathan Mays at jmays@animenewsnetwork.com .
