We are ready to roll in Iowa on Sunday, November 19th!
The UMPS CARE Charities 3rd Annual Eric Cooper Memorial Bowling Tournament Presented by the Iowa Cubs, will be held Saturday, November 19 at Gameday Lanes, 3800 Merle Hays Lane Road, in Des Moines.
The event is a special way to continue the legacy of Eric “Coop” Cooper, a beloved MLB umpire who passed away suddenly in 2019.
The bowling tournament not only brings Coop’s hometown community together for a fun-filled evening but also raises funds to support the UMPS CARE Charities All-Star College Scholarship Program.
Part of the proceeds from this event will help our 2020 Eric Cooper All-Star College Scholarship recipient, Marcus Lo, achieve his dream of a college education. The All-Star College Scholarship Program provides $10,000 annually to a child who was adopted at 13 years of age or older, but more importantly, it also provides ongoing mentorship and emotional support from the MLB Umpire community.
Marcus was 4 when his mother died of cancer. At 16, he lost his father and subsequently was adopted. He is currently a junior at the University of Southern California. The Cooper family – mom, Beth, dad, Bill, stepmother, Donna, and brother Chad, have been mentors to Marcus, along with MLB Umpire Gabe Morales and his wife, Michelle. Marcus attended the bowling tournament for the second consecutive year and even stayed with the Coopers.
Even though Coop was an ardent Notre Dame fan (even his dog is named “Rudy” after the movie classic about a walk-on football player for the Irish), we think he would be proud to support a student at rival USC!
Marcus has done extremely well at USC and will be graduating this spring with both his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree!
All of us at UMPS CARE Charities are honored to host this event and look forward to seeing you in Iowa!
