Executives in The Blackstone Group's London office earlier this month helped plant ceramic poppies as part of an art installation commemorating the 100th anniversary of the start of Britain's involvement in World War I.
The installation called “The Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red” is in the Tower of London's moat. A group of 80 employees from the alternatives investment firm donated their time as part of Blackstone's annual global volunteer day.
In conjunction with the employees' volunteer effort, the $100 million Blackstone Charitable Foundation made an $11,000 grant to Help for Heroes, a non-profit organization in the U.K. that supports wounded veterans and their families.
The installation at the Tower of London ultimately will feature 888,246 handmade ceramic red poppies — one for each soldier from Britain or the British Commonwealth who died in World War 1.
The first poppy was planted Aug. 5; the last one is to be installed Nov. 11.
