A message from President Gash
Each September, Pepperdine stages the Waves of Flags display honoring the lives lost in the 9/11 terror attack with nearly 3,000 flags in Alumni Park along Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road—one for each innocent victim, including a national flag for each foreign country that lost a citizen in the attack. Started by students in 2008, Waves of Flags has become a Pepperdine tradition, one that attracts attention and admiration from across the country. It has come to transcend the commemoration of a single tragic day, educating both students and people far beyond our campus about the history of our country and the overwhelming sacrifices that heroic men and women have made to keep it safe, prosperous, and free.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the attacks, a milestone that we feel calls for a grand gesture on Pepperdine's part. We are establishing a Waves of Flags Endowment Fund to ensure permanent support for this tradition and establish a legacy that will last in perpetuity; the resources this fund generates will support both the display and a patriotic ceremony on our campus each year. By giving to the Waves of Flags Endowment Fund, you can help ensure that the brave men and women from all walks of life who perished on 9/11 will be remembered on our campus long after we are gone.