A Show of Support

Pockets of people milled around the Ross parking lot Monday around 9 p.m.

As the hour progressed, the group grew until hundreds gathered to pay their respects toward a family member, friend, classmate and teammate: Clayton Clark.

Clark suffered life-threatening injuries Sunday morning after an accident sent a 1995 Honda Civic into an irrigation canal. Clark succumbed to those injuries Monday, per the Facebook account of the Moses Lake School District.

There was an immediate outpouring of support on social media by those who knew Clark, and the idea of a candlelight walk was floated by Ryan Finley and set for 10 p.m.

That idea manifested into around 300 people walking down Stratford Road with candles in solidarity.

“I’m proud to be able to say I grew up in a place where everyone around me would do anything for each other,” Aubrey Rowland, a classmate of Clark, posted on Twitter. “It was amazing to see hundreds of people walk down the streets tonight to show respect for someone we will all miss and to comfort the ones who need it the most. Clayton touched everybody’s heart and I can’t even begin to understand how his family and closest friends feel. You’re very missed Clay and I hope you’re proud too.”

The walk ended at the canal near the intersection of Road 5 and Road L Northeast where persons set their candles or tokens down in a memorial.

Clark wrestled for Moses Lake, making two trips to the state tournament. At Mat Classic XXV, Clark took seventh place in the 106-pound weight class.

Naturally, Joel Torres’ favorite memory of Clark came in Tacoma.

“I remember at state we fell asleep waiting for our match and Mel Olson came up to us and starting kicking us and he’s like, ‘Wake up, wake up,’” Torres said.

The common thread for those who offered their thoughts was that Clark was a happy kid, always smiling, while also knowing how to make others smile. And that didn’t stop, even inside an intense wrestling room.

“He was a great guy, man,” Torres said. “He loved everyone. He was just always happy, you know? Even in the wrestling room. Even though we hate practicing he was just always happy.”

Moses Lake High School assistant wrestling coach Ariel Garza knew Clark from a young age.

“I knew him for a long time, since he was a little boy,” Garza said. “In my mind I still picture him with his short hair following his dad around to practice and loving the sport. We used to call him a mat rat because he always wanted to be on the mat. Every time we had practice he’d always be there.”

As of Tuesday, a GoFundMe account had raised nearly $24,000 for Clark’s family. Donations can be made to the page (https://www.gofundme.com/27c5pdw4) or at the Umpqua Bank in Moses Lake where a trust was set up in Clark’s name.

Before the walk began, Torres stood off to the fringe of the mass of people that enveloped a place where many come to shop. Monday, people came to remember.

“It’s great support,” Torres said. “I didn’t think there would be this much people. Clay had a lot of friends.”