Downtown Daffodil Dash Honors Young Holocaust Victims
The daffodils create a “ribbon of consciousness” between the Center for Civil and Human Rights and The King Center.
In addition to a traditional race, the second annual Downtown Daffodil Dash 5K in Atlanta Nov. 4 continues the city’s effort to plant daffodils in memory of the children who died in the Holocaust.
The race is part of the worldwide Daffodil Project, which aims to plant 1.5 million daffodils, representing the same number of children murdered by the Nazis. The daffodils resemble the yellow stars Jews were forced to wear during that dark period in history. While a reminder of the past, the flowers return each year as a symbol of hope and resilience, a call to action for the future.
The Daffodil Project also supports children who continue to suffer in humanitarian crises and genocides in the world today.
The Downtown Daffodil Project, is produced annually by the Central Atlanta Progress downtown business association; its nonprofit Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, and Am Yisrael Chai! The latter is a nonprofit that focuses on Holocaust education and genocide awareness.
The downtown Atlanta project began in 2014 with the ceremonial planting of 110,000 daffodil bulbs in Woodruff Park. It has since expanded to 240,000 bulb plantings in city parks, major hotels and land managed by the Georgia Department of Transportation along the Downtown Connector. The daffodils create a “ribbon of consciousness” between the Center for Civil and Human Rights and The King Center.
At the end of the Daffodil Dash this year, participants will receive a daffodil bulb to take home and plant in their own gardens in support of the project.
The race also provides participants with a tour of some of downtown Atlanta’s oldest neighborhoods, newest developments and most iconic landmarks.
“The Downtown Daffodil Project adds meaningful vibrancy to downtown Atlanta each year, and we look forward to producing an event that allows people to experience our neighborhood, Woodruff Park, and the project’s impact,” said A.J. Robinson, president of CAP/ADID.
Online registration ends Oct. 31, although walk-up registration can take place the day of the race. Participants have the option to sign up for the timed 5K event for $30 or for a fun run for $25. Both will follow the same route. Starting at 8:30 a.m., the race will begin at Woodruff Park. Participants are welcome to bring their dogs on leashes to run or walk the route. Strollers are also allowed.
The 2018 Downtown Daffodil Dash is made possible by Delta Air Lines, NCR Corporation and Big Peach Running Co. For more information about the Downtown Daffodil Dash 5K, visit www.DowntownDaffodilDash.com, the Downtown Daffodil Project, www.AtlantaDowntown.com and the Daffodil Project, www.daffodilproject.net.
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