34,000 Flags in Hudson Valley Honor New Yorkers Who Died of COVID

Thirty-four thousand flags were placed outside a Hudson Valley school to memorialize the nearly 34,000 New Yorkers who died from COVID-19.

On a recent weekend, Trinity-Pawling School seniors, Peter Claro and Stuart Phillips, along with many members of the Trinity-Pawling community, placed 34,000 blue and gold flags on the front lawn of campus in memory of the nearly 34,000 New Yorkers who lost their lives to COVID-19. The installation is part of Peter and Stuart's Senior Independent Project, (SIP).

"At Trinity-Pawling, the SIP process allows seniors to pursue an idea that is meaningful to them, while they grow as engaged, interested, and aware citizens of the world," Thank you, Peter and Stuart, for your inspiring work and moving tribute," Trinity-Pawling School wrote on its website about the senior project.

According to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center 33,444 people have died of COVID-19 in New York State, as of this writing. Johns Hopkins University says over a half-million Empire State residents have tested positive for the virus.

The 34,000 blue and gold flags placed on the front lawn of campus at Trinity-Pawling School were placed behind a banner that reads "In memory of New Yorkers lost to COVID-19."

"We hope that drivers going by will be moved by the display and reminded to continue to think of others. We're all in this together. Thank you to Peter, Stuart, and our #TPcommunity for your inspiring efforts and heartfelt tribute," the school wrote on Facebook about the display.