Floods devastate Montero's homeland

Landsliding caused by seasonal rain storms have flooded the countryside of Colombia.

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Flooding in Colombia

In Seattle last week, Fredy Montero and his family were celebrating the announcement of his new contract extension, keeping him with the Seattle Sounders FC as the club’s third designated player.

Meanwhile, back home in Colombia, there was nothing to celebrate. Heavy rains have caused flooding and mudslides throughout Montero’s native country. Thousands of rescue workers are manning the area, but the death toll has risen to over 175 people with over 2 million people affected by the disaster.

Everywhere you look , homes are covered in mud or flooded. The hope last week was that the water levels would recede, but instead it has become progressively worse and officials are now evacuating towns.

These towns include Montero’s birthplace, Campo de la Cruz, where his grandparents’ house is full of water and they are being relocated to Montero’s Colombian home in Barranquilla.

“Currently, it just looks sad. Seeing the streets on which I grew up playing soccer, now just covered in water makes me sad,” Montero said. “It saddens all my family to see what is happening to our friends and family members. It affects us all.”

Fundraising Event

“When a situation arises like these devastating landslides, it doesn’t just affect Fredy Montero and our two other Colombian players, but the club as a whole.,” said Sounders FC GM and owner Adrian Hanauer. “We’ve made a point to stand behind our players in all situations, particularly in times of need.“

It is very important to the whole organization to support Fredy in this situation and do anything we can to make sure that his family and his community in Campo de la Cruz are safe.”

Fuel Sports Bar
Wednesday, December 15 (6-9 pm PT)
21+, $5 donation encouraged at the door

The Sounders FC has teamed up with the supporter groups, Emerald City Supporters, Gorilla FC and North End Supporters to organize a joint fundraiser benefiting Mercy Corps to help flood victims in Colombia.

Together they are hosting a Colombian Flood Relief event on Wednesday, December 15 from 6-9 pm hosted by Fuel Sports Bar in downtown Seattle.

Players, coaches and staff from the Sounders FC will also be in attendance to help raise funds through auctions, raffles and donations. There is no cover charge though a small donation at the door is encouraged. All ages are welcomed.

Among the auction items will be autographed balls and jerseys, but also many fan experiences. Available is a VIP Experience for the club’s Community Shield preseason match on March 9 against the MLS Cup Champion Colorado Rapids, which will include pre-game field passes for four and a sideline table for the match.

On December 3, the club unveiled their new second kit, a shale grey jersey with XBOX emblazoned across the front. An auction for the first new shale Sounders FC jersey will also take place at the event. When the jerseys arrive at the Qwest Field Pro Shop, the winner will be the first to pull one out of the box and wear it home.

While several Sounders FC players will be on hand, Montero will not. He left Wednesday morning, December 8, to go to Colombia to tend to his family and is not expected to return in time for the event.

“Once I saw how bad it was I knew in my heart I had to go as soon as possible,” he said. “I'm hoping with assistance from others I can get the resources to help those who need it most.”

About Mercy Corps' efforts in Colombia

Currently, Mercy Corps is helping families in Barranquilla — Fredy Montero's hometown — who have been affected by the landslides.

Three of our players — Montero, Miguel Montaño, and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado — hail from Colombia, where Mercy Corps has worked since 2007 to help survivors of Latin America's longest-running conflict. They're working with the most vulnerable residents — landmine survivors, displaced families, at-risk children — in the areas most affected by violence.

Thank you for your support!

Learn more about Mercy Corps' work in Colombia. See Mercy Corps at work in Soacha and Cartagena, Colombia.