School, sports medicine community team up for Brooke Parker scholarship bracelet fundraiser

Lubbock Sports Medicine has teamed up with the West Texas Sports Medicine Society and Post High School to sell bracelets to fund a scholarship in honor of a Lubbock Cooper ISD athletic trainer who died in a crash Monday evening in Lubbock.

Mendy Wyatt, clinical outreach coordinator with Lubbock Sports Medicine, said the idea for the bracelets was developed on Tuesday, a day after Brooke Parker's death, as a way to pay tribute to the trainer who touched many lives through her work.

"She's just a great young lady and, of course, this is a very huge tragedy in the athletic training community," she said.

Lubbock police said Parker, 25, died in a two-vehicle crash Monday night on Marsha Sharp Freeway near University Avenue after her vehicle was struck by a white Cadillac sedan driven by 36-year-old Louis Marquez.

Marquez and Parker were pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials say Marquez was traveling eastbound in westbound lanes when he struck Parker, who was traveling westbound. The crash remains under investigation, as police said it is still unclear why Marquez was driving in the wrong direction.

Parker, Wyatt said, was on her way home from work.

Wyatt said the news of Parker's death was felt throughout the school and sports medicine community, as they are a tight-knit group.

Describing Parker as "loved by a lot of people," she spoke about the community wanting to give back.

With the Brooke Parker Scholarship Fund in beginning stages, she said all donations and proceeds from the sale of $5 bracelets will go toward the cause.

The bracelets read "Brooke Parker Cooper Strong" and are black with red lettering.

Losing her, she said, has brought the community together in search for ways to help out.

The bracelets will be a reminder of Parker and allow the community to help a student in pursuit of their athletic and academic goals.

"We're just friends and colleagues that just wanted to help out and do whatever we could for her, because she would always do whatever she could for everybody else," said Wyatt.

Those interested in purchasing a bracelet can print out order forms from the Lubbock Sports Medicine and West Texas Sports Medicine Facebook pages or email Wyatt directly at Mwyattatc@gmail.com.

Wyatt said donations will also be accepted through the same method.

lucinda.holt@lubbockonline.com

(806)766-8722

On Twitter @AJ_LucindaLHolt

Source: School, sports medicine community team up for Brooke Parker scholarship bracelet fundraiser