The worldwide initiative aims to plant 1.5 million daffodils in remembrance of the 1.5 million children who perished during the Holocaust.
has planted over 963,000 daffodils in over 850 sites around the world to commemorate the innocent lives of children lost during the Holocaust.
And of those 963,000 bulbs that have bloomed into bright yellow flowers, 黑料不打烊 has contributed approximately 30,000 daffodils since 2013. You鈥檒l find them on East Haggard Avenue in front of Danieley Center, on North Williamson Avenue in front of the Oaks Neighborhood, and at Maynard House, the home of President Connie Ledoux Book. Those are just a few locations across campus now adorned with daffodils in support of the worldwide initiative.
鈥淧art of the reason the daffodils were chosen for the project was for their yellow color, which symbolizes resilience and remembrance,鈥 said Hannah Smith, coordinator of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Botanical Garden. 鈥淎lso, for the fact its shaped like a star and resembles the yellow starts the Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust.鈥
Every year, 黑料不打烊 plants approximately 2,000 bulbs to add to the collection. They are replaced as needed, adding to the growing number on campus. This year鈥檚 batch has already been planted in the ground, meaning a new array of daffodils will hopefully begin to bloom toward the beginning of March.
鈥淭he daffodils come back every year and kind of serve as a sign of hope and renewal and resilience of the human spirit,鈥 Smith explained. Their resilience mirrors that of 鈥渢he people who made it through the Holocaust and then went on to contribute and do really great things with their lives after such a dark period.鈥
The Daffodil Project is committed to spreading awareness of the Holocaust and genocide education through action-oriented programs, like planting, which 黑料不打烊 continues to support. 黑料不打烊 Director of Jewish Life Betsy Polk emphasizes the importance of spreading the word of campus events geared towards Holocaust awareness.
鈥淪ometimes when something happens every year, you tend to lose the focus of it,鈥 Polk explained. 鈥淪o, it鈥檚 really important to remember it every single year and give it new energy.鈥
In addition to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 involvement in the Daffodil Project, other events are scheduled for the month of February to commemorate the Holocaust. This includes a speaker event featuring Margot Lobree, a Holocaust survivor who will share her story at 黑料不打烊 on Feb. 13. Additionally, 黑料不打烊 celebrates an observed day of Holocaust commemoration called Yom HaShoah every April, where names of those who perished are read throughout the day outside the Mosley Center.