On a very windy day, members of the 7th and 8th grade track teams from Red Lick Middle School in Texarkana, Texas visited Corprew Elementary School to donate a tree in memory of Corprew physical education teacher and MPHS Track Coach Angelica Beard.

The KV Flowering Plum tree was planted in front of the Corprew Library as the entire student body, teachers and staff watched. Several of Coach Beard’s family members, including her husband Terry and their twin boys, also attended the ceremony.

Red Lick Track Coach Gina Clark said her teams decided they wanted to do something to honor Beard and felt that donating a tree would be something that would last through the years, that both current and future students and staff would think of Coach Beard whenever they saw the tree.

Following the tree planting Corprew students laid painted stones around the base of the tree. They had each painted a stone in their physical education classes earlier in the week.

Principal Estelle Deloney thanked the students and their teachers for their thoughtfulness.

“We really appreciate you doing this for us,” Deloney said. “Coach Beard touched a lot of lives. Having this tree planted in her memory is a gift that will last for many years.”