Laughter and cheering roared across the soccer fields and grassy lawns of Lampkin Park off of Morgantown Road on Sunday. What appeared as a spirited gathering of friends and family was a fundraiser for a beloved member of Bowling Green’s Hispanic community.
On Tuesday, Feb. 10, Jeovani Menjivar and Chelsea Scott welcomed the birth of their first child. Within less than 48 hours, Menjivar suffered a stroke and found himself in the same hospital as his fiancé and newborn baby.
He’s since been released from the hospital and is in recovery, but Menjivar and his fiancé now navigate the burden of expensive medical bills. According to the GoFundMe created by his family, Menjivar currently has no medical insurance and was recently denied Medicaid.
On Wednesday, Feb. 25, Menjivar’s sister, Erica Gonzales, posted a flyer to the Facebook group Hispanics in Bowling Green for an event titled “Jeo’s Fundraiser,” which would include a men’s and women’s soccer tournament and a variety of food for sale. Gonzales said the GoFundMe had already reached over $7,000 of the $10,00 goal before Sunday’s event.
Lizeth Calix, a friend of Menjivar’s father, both of whom work as soccer referees of local leagues, oversaw all 12 of the teams signed up to participate in the tournament and donate money to Menjivar’s GoFundMe. The event began at ten o’clock in the morning and ran until six o’clock in the evening in order to accommodate all of the games.
Nearby, members of Menjivar’s family cooked handmade pupusas and curtido, traditional Salvadorian dishes, while others scooped fresh salsa and packaged the meals. At the next table, local Bowling Green business Over the Moon Delights sold chocoflan slices and strawberry and mango sago.
Menjivar’s cousin, Carlos Rivas, expressed delightful surprise at the number of people who had shown up to support Menjivar.
“If we know somebody close to the community who needs help, we always get together and do something,” Rivas said.
Gonzales said soccer has always been a passion of Menjivar’s. Referencing the flyer for the event, which shows Menjivar playing in a gymnasium, Gonzales said that is how Menjivar could always be found prior to the accident: kicking a soccer ball around with his friends.
“All of the people that are currently here are my aunts, close friends, and family. We all said ‘Okay, let’s do this,” Gonzales said.
Currently, the family said they’re trusting God and praying for a full recovery with the help of physical therapy so that Menjivar can return to his favorite sport and care for his newborn son. Menjivar laughed and pointed to his baby as he napped in his carrier.
“He’ll be playing soccer on these fields in a few years.”
