DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Cubs and UMPS CARE Charities hosted the third-annual Eric Cooper Memorial Bowling Tournament on Sunday afternoon. Hosted at Gameday Lanes, over 150 people attended and celebrated MLB Umpire Eric "Coop" Cooper's legacy.
"Eric Cooper was a loving, caring man," said Mike Everitt, a colleague and close friend of Cooper. "He was a man that loved his family. He loved the game of baseball, he loved umpiring, he loved life. He loved the Cyclones, he loved the Irish. He loved to wear shorts in the dead winter in Iowa."
Everitt is a member of UMPS CARE, which he described as a three-pronged charity. UMPS CARE visits hospitals and gifts patients with a Build-a-Bear, hosts an MLB experience trip for children in foster care and provides college scholarships.
Another friend and colleague of Cooper's, Pat Hoberg, was proud of the work they've done.
"It's doing the right thing and it's cool for it to have Eric Cooper's name attached to it," he said. "He'd be really proud."
Marcus Lo is one of the UMPS CARE scholarship recipients. He is a senior at University of Southern California and will graduate in Spring 2024. He has visited Iowa multiple times for the bowling tournament, forging connections with the Cooper family.
"It's a really meaningful relationship that I've been developing," Lo said. "It's also in honor of their late son, Eric Cooper, who was a really fantastic guy based on what I've heard. And it's my job to just continue on this legacy for him and his family."