On May 9, a quiet, still Saturday evening, people began to trickle into the parking lot in front of the Netplex Athletic Center on 58th in Amarillo to pay their respects and honor the five team members of an Amarillo pickleball team, who were tragically killed in a plane crash near Wimberly, Texas, around 11 p.m. April 30.
The crowd grew, and grew and then grew some more until around 100 people stood quietly and respectfully in the parking lot in front of Netplex. They were handed candles for the candlelight ceremony, following some memories shared from pickleball enthusiast and Amarillo City Councilmember Don Tipps.
Those who lost their lives were Justin Appling, pilot and member of the team; Hayden Dillard; Brooke Skypala; Stacy Hedrick and Seren Wilson…