Perseverancia, a nonprofit organization started by third-year business administration and Spanish student Jack Rothacker, hosted a fundraising event featuring a soccer tournament, food and music Oct. 21. Perseverancia’s aim is to raise $21,000 to build a seventh grade classroom in El Salvador to further the education of children there. 

Rothacker said there were about 80 players total — eight teams with a minimum of seven players each. While off the field, players were cheering on their teammates, kicking around or juggling the ball with a Latine music soundtrack in the background.  

General admission tickets were $8, which included admission to view the soccer games, listen to music, watch the halftime show and a food ticket. It was $10 for players to register. The teams were primarily fraternities, with one sorority team in the mix. 

Gavin Leone, a third-year studying business administration and member of the American Marketing Association, said he worked with Rothacker as head of marketing for the event. 

“I was at an AMA meeting, … and Jack came to the back of the class and he was like, ‘Hey, I kind of need a social media marketer because I have a project going on,’” Leone said. “It turns out, as I started to get to know him a little more and we had a few meetings that he was actually trying to make a nonprofit organization. And I was like, ‘Well, that’s amazing. Why didn’t you say anything about that in the first place?’” 

Handmade pupusas, the national dish of El Salvador, were served by Sandra Chicas, who offered pork, bean, chicken and spinach options.

“I think the most memorable thing was talking to our friend who was running the pupusa stand,” Leone said. “To see her come out and see the community that’s from all different parts of the world supporting her is a really beautiful thing, and I can tell that that makes her happy.”

Leone said he felt the atmosphere was special. 

“Cultural and language exchange just allows you to engage with people on a whole different level, and it’s incredibly intimate,” Leone said. “… I feel like this is what life is about. This is a human experience right here, coming together.”

Sube Ritmo, a Latine student-led dance team, took the field to perform as the tournament’s halftime show. Sube Ritmo aims to create a welcoming environment for any student who wants to learn traditional dance from Latine cultures, regardless of past dance experience. 

Throughout the tournament, there were four overtime games. During overtime, the games were played three-on-three and sudden-death style. The final game was a face-off between Delta Kappa Epsilon and Sigma Nu, with the latter winning the entirety of the tournament. The team celebrated by splashing water over the players on the field. 

“Just another day in the office,” Derek Haaff, a third-year studying computer and electrical engineering and a player on the winning team, said. 

The official sponsor of the event was Celsius, an energy drink company, which provided approximately 40 cases of the drinks to fuel players throughout the day. Along with that donation, Red Line Beer and Wine donated a $250 gift card as a prize for the winning team. 

“I’m amazed at the generosity of the sponsors to help,” Jonny Grigg, a third-year studying business administration and head of sales for Perseverancia, said. “And the soccer teams, they really came to play; it’s very interesting. It’s giving me faith in the community.”

On Nov. 4, Perseverancia will host another event at Red Line, where a percentage of sales for the night will go towards the nonprofit’s $21,000 goal. 

“We’re just going to have a big celebration of the culture, make the people feel at home, even though they might be away from home,” Grigg said. 

The tournament raised an estimated $3,000. The organizers said they were grateful for the help and support they received, and they are excited to continue on their journey to raising money to build the classroom in El Salvador.

“I’m pleasantly surprised at how willing people are to just come help out with a project for free,” Leone said. “I’m not entitled to anything from those people, but helping us has been great and it touches my heart because it makes you realize that people do care, more than you probably realize.” 

More information about Perseverancia can be found on their website.