Despite piercing cold temperatures, Wood River High School students, teachers and a parent volunteer gathered this week outside the high school field house to fill over 1,244 luminaries.
The Amnesty International club of Wood River High School will light the luminaries to honor the fallen soldiers of the Iraq war during a candle light vigil at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 2. at the Phil Homer Football Stadium at the high school in Hailey.
"With each candle we represent a fallen soldier," Jean Bohl, a Wood River High teacher and Amnesty International advisor, said. "Our approach is twofold, to pay tribute to those that have given their lives and we want people to be aware what 1,244 looks like, so they can draw their own conclusions."
During the 35-minute vigil, the students plan to line the football field with 1,244 candles in a silent tribute to the soldiers. The goal is to raise awareness of lives lost during the war.
"It's really important to sit and look to see what 1,244 lives is," Max Kessler, a senior, commented.
The students organized the evening as a nonpartisan event for the community. It will allow silent contemplation, accompanied by music taped from the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington D.C.
"I think the whole point is that it is not a political statement, it's for peace," Reinet Behncke, a junior, explained.
"We ask people to come as individuals, not as an organization," Bohl added.
The students maintain close connections to those soldiers who have served, through closeness in their ages and through families.
"It's got to be so hard to handle something like that at our age, especially right out of high school," Behncke said.
For Preston the event honors her second cousin that is serving in Iraq.
"He is representing our family. To have someone like that risk their life for their family—that's the ultimate sacrifice," Preston remarked.
The group extended invitations to individual community leaders, veterans, clergy and elected officials, including Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne.
Reinet Behncke, left, Jean Bohl and Anneka Preston brave the cold to fill luminaries for a candle light vigil scheduled 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 2. at the Phil Homer Football Stadium in Hailey to honor U.S. soldiers that have died in Iraq. Photo by Willy Cook
