(COLORADO SPRINGS) — 27,000 flags were placed on the west lawn of the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) campus to honor victims of the holocaust, Friday afternoon on Jan. 27.

Each flag represented 500 lives lost while the colors served to symbolize different ethnic and religious groups, along with other minorities that were targeted. UCCS said they hope the flags serve as a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come and the work that has yet to be finished.

“…My great-grandfather was Jewish and actually fought in World War II to liberate concentration camps,” said Aidan Clark, a Senior student at UCCS. “Even though it’s not my personal history, it’s part of my family’s history and it’s something that’s always resonated with me.

The Department of Student Life and other student organizations partnered to host UCCS’ annual International Holocaust Remembrance Flag Display. The spectacle honored millions of holocaust victims who suffered during the Second World War.