UTPB
UTPB to host remembrance of 2019 mass shooting victims
UT Permian Basin is inviting the community to gather under its Mesa Building Deck at 7 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, for a sunrise service of music and prayer in remembrance of the victims of the 2019 mass shooting, according to the Odessa Chamber of Commerce.
The public can park in the Welcome Center parking lot or the library parking lot, the Chamber stated. The best campus entrance is the Maple and JBS Parkway entrance.
For those who can’t make it or want to participate in other ways, a blood drive will be held on campus to support the random acts of kindness initiative immediately after the sunrise service, according to the Chamber. UTPB encourages the community to donate blood, engage in community service or random acts of kindess, and wear yellow on this day.
In addition, consider donating toward The Bright Star Memorial, a forthcoming memorial on the UTPB campus that will offer a permanent bright light from which local residents can remember victims, survivors and first responders impacted by the mass shooter. According to the Odessa American, the memorial, being constructed in conjunction with a campus transformation, will be 11 feet high and 5 feet in diameter and will feature the names of all victims and first responders involved in the mass shooting in Midland and Odessa on Aug. 31, 2019. Seven people were killed and 25 injured before the shooter was fatally shot by law enforcement.
Contribute to memorial’s creation by clicking here or 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, the Chamber states.
For more details, read the Odessa American’s more detailed report on the memorial here.
