Alpha Chi Omega sorority lit up the UA Mall with more than 160 luminarias on Thursday evening, in an attempt to bring a a greater awareness to domestic violence.

The event, titled “A Wave of Light for Domestic Violence,” sought to spread awareness of domestic violence through education.

More than 20 sorority members from Alpha Chi Omega stood by the luminarias and handed out domestic violence awareness ribbons, as well as “wish links” for people passing by.

The luminarias were also decorated with facts about domestic violence. One bag read, “Arizona is 5th in the nation for domestic violence cases.”

The wish links were purple pieces of paper that participants could fill out to show they took the time to learn about domestic violence.

The chain of wish links will be sent to Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse, the largest domestic abuse shelter in Southern Arizona.

“[We were] looking for something that we could do that would be a visual statement on campus,” said Chelle Guzman, an elementary education junior and coordinator of the event. “So that when people walk by and see it and know that something is going and hopefully want to find out,”

Guzman’s wish didn’t go unanswered.

Nancy Keller, a Tucson resident, said she was drawn by the luminarias and created a wish link of her own.

Keller said she was struck by the gravity of the situation.

“Domestic violence is something that is near and dear to my heart,” Keller said. “I wanted to learn a little bit more … and then participated in me making a chain.”

Love doesn’t hurt and shouldn’t be a manipulation of one’s emotions or physical being, Guzman said.

“If you love each other, it should be love,” she said. “It should be happy.”