Gathering scheduled at site of planned memorial on 3rd anniversary of mass shooting

UPDATE: Due to inclement weather, the location of this event has changed. The community is invited to gather under the UTPB Mesa Deck. Parking will be available at the UT Permian Basin Welcome Center or Library. The story has been updated to reflect this information.

Aug. 31, 2019, will forever be a dark day for communities of the Permian Basin. But the forthcoming creation of a memorial on the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) campus will offer a permanent bright light from which local residents can remember the victims, survivors and first responders impacted by a man’s senseless shooting spree in Midland and Odessa.

A sunrise service of music and prayer will take place Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 7 a.m. under the UTPB Mesa Deck, near to where The Bright Star Memorial will be built, according to a statement from the Odessa Chamber of Commerce. Parking will be available at the UT Permian Basin Welcome Center or Library.

Whether you can attend or not, the community is asked to wear yellow on this day, and to dedicate time to engage in community service or random acts of kindness.

One good deed to consider is a donation to the creation of The Bright Star Memorial, which can be done online by clicking here or by contacting the Office of Advancement at (432) 552-2800 or development@utpb.edu. Naming opportunities are available for benches, trails, and bridges that will surround The Bright Star Memorial outdoor plaza.

In addition to the gathering at the memorial, the nonprofit Family Resiliency Center will host a free Adult Mental Health First Aid training from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 31. For more information or to register for the course, email Dalia at daliaramirez@permiacare.org.