By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
Over the weekend, a Salina house fire left four international Kansas Wesleyan men's soccer players with next to nothing, destroying most of their belongings.
While the devastation was great, the response from the Salina community has been nothing short of inspiring, and the four players, Mateo Hoyos, Andres Ruiz, Gerardo Garcia, and Sebastian Fernandez, have quickly gotten back on their feet.
“It’s been incredible to see the way this community has come together around these kids, dropping off all sorts of things," KWU men's soccer coach Bruce Palmbaum said. "People have taken them to Dick’s and Wall Mart, Bethany College sent over gift cards, the other coaches and teams have sent us stuff. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
This effort has extended well beyond just the KWU community, with everyone from local businesses, to local high schools, and even rival schools pitching in.
In addition to physical donations made to the players, team, and school, the GoFundMe put online by Hoyos has already raised over $10,000 of its $50,000 goal.
Earlier this year, Hoyos, Ruiz, Garcia and Fernandez helped Kansas Wesleyan earn the Champions of Character Award for their work helping others in the Salina community, work they did with no notion of how much they might one day need from the very community they chose to serve.
“I’m sure that KWUs position in the community has had a lot to do with this response," Palmbaum said. "Our team, and these kids in particular, have done a lot of work in the Salina community, and I think people really grew to like those boys before this ever happened.”
You can donate to the GoFundMe by clicking HERE.
Kansas Wesleyan men's soccer will be back in action for the NAIA tournament later this month.