Various tributes to 11-year-old Parker have emerged as his loss is felt in hearts across the city.
Parker’s name, graffitied in blue on a retaining wall near Memorial Drive, can be seen from Deerfoot Trail. The artist, Instagram user ItsCaseyJames, shared his work in a post with the caption reading, “Parker til infinity . . . My heart goes out to the family members. As a dad of two, this breaks my heart. I did what I did to show Calgary’s support.”
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas announced Friday that flags would be lowered to half-mast until Monday at the Municipal Complex as well as Calgary Fire Department and Calgary Police Service facilities.
Heritage Park followed suit, lowering its own flags for the duration of the weekend.
“Like so many across Calgary, we at Heritage Park have felt the heartbreaking loss of Parker, an 11-year-old whose passing has deeply affected our community,” read a statement posted to social media.
“Our hearts are with Parker’s family and loved ones, and with every person carrying this heartbreaking loss.”
The Calgary Tower was lit blue — the colour associated with autism awareness — on Thursday night.
The Jack Tennant Memorial Bridge in Cochrane will also be lit blue until Monday.
Calgary Police confirmed Thursday that the child’s body found Wednesday afternoon had been formally identified as Parker’s, concluding a nearly two-week-long search.
Since then, several community-organized memorials and candlelight vigils have been held across the city. A lamp post on the edge of Laycock Park, near where Parker was last seen, has been surrounded by stuffed animals, flowers, candles and signs, with messages written in chalk covering the street.
A GoFundMe campaign has been started on behalf of Parker’s family by his uncle, Brad Brown.
“This was not something the family ever imagined creating, and asking for help does not come easily. But because so many people have been looking for a tangible way to support them, an official GoFundMe has now been created with the family’s blessing,” Brown said in a post to Facebook in which he shared a link to the fundraiser.
“There is absolutely no expectation to donate. The love, messages, prayers, meals, searching, sharing, and countless other acts of kindness already shown to Parker and our family have meant more than we can ever put into words.”
In just one day, the campaign has raised close to $100,000, and Brown said donations will help to ease financial burdens as the family heals, including funeral and memorial expenses, travel, lost income, counseling, and other unexpected costs.
The family also listed other organizations that supporters can donate to in honour of Parker, including Between Friends, Renfrew Educational Services and Autism Calgary.