Reinhardt is known for its beautiful campus, but it takes a village to maintain its magnificence. Each fall, the Reinhardt community and the ground maintenance staff unite for Campus Beautification Day – a day for everyone to roll up their sleeves and dig in the dirt. “It’s an important day of unity and service to sustain the most beautiful campus in Georgia,” said Josh Garner, coordinator of spiritual life. Daffodils – unbeknownst to many – play a critical role in this day, and on our campus.
In 2019, Reinhardt began the Daffodil Project, an initiative of Am Yisrael Chai, a non-profit Holocaust Education and Awareness organization based in Atlanta. Am Yisrael Chai launched The Daffodil Project to create a “Living Holocaust Memorial.” Their goal is to plant 1.5 million daffodils around the world in memory of the 1.5 million children who died in the Holocaust. According to The Daffodil Project website, to date 664,000 daffodils have been planted in over 266 locations around the world.
Reinhardt began by planting 500 daffodil bulbs the first year and continues to add 250 annually. There are now 1,000 daffodils in flowerbeds across Reinhardt’s campus, representing 1,000 children who died in the Holocaust. “The life of every child is beautiful. Through these daffodils, we can remember the beauty of life and the power of choosing love over hate,” said Garner.
