Parker Moore Memorial Run

Natalie Kelley, Staff Writer

To honor Parker Moore, students, alumni, community members, McMinnville law enforcement, and Moore’s friends and family from home, gathered Sunday, Oct. 2, for the second annual Parker Moore 3.5 mile memorial walk/run.

Despite the rainy weather, the run had a large crowd, 310 participants in total, showcasing the impact that Moore had on this community.

“The run has done such an amazing job bringing the community together,” said Alexis Michael, a Linfield senior, who was participating in the run for the second time.

The race began and ended on the Maxwell Field, a place where Parker spent much of his time as a Wildcat football player. Runners ran around the Linfield campus, as well as along the wellness trail, continually being cheered on by Linfield football players and cheerleaders.

“It’s a privilege, as an alumna, to still be able to come back and participate in this run and honor my friendship with Parker,” says Piper Diane, a 2016 Linfield graduate.

The 3.5-mile distance was specifically chosen to honor Parker and his passion for Linfield College Football, as his football number was 35.

“It’s really cool to see both the Woodinville and McMinnville communities come together to celebrate Parker and seeing all the people who made an effort to be out there this morning running in the rain. Seeing all of the other athletes, students and professors who decided to spend their Sunday morning at Linfield today shows how many lives he impacted,” Drew Accimus, a Wildcat wide receiver and a close friend of Moore’s, said.

Participants and spectators enjoyed Dutch Bros coffee, a raffle drawing and music as they commemorated an important part of the Linfield family.

Captain Tim Symons from the McMinnville Police Department said, “McMinnville and Linfield, from my perspective, have always had a strong relationship. I believe that this event has galvanized the relationship and made it even stronger. It might be hard to quantify how it’s impacted, but I can tell you that fundraising for the event to pay for items has been fairly easy. I can only assume that it’s because there is such a strong bond between the community and the college. For example, we raised over $5,700 this year to go towards expenses. The amount raised will almost certainly guarantee that all of the registration dollars go directly into the scholarship fund.”

Proceeds from the run go towards the Parker Archie Moore Memorial Fund that was set up by his family. This makes the Parker Archie Moore Endowed Scholarship possible, which is presented to a Linfield College student that embodies Moore’s values and qualities.