SUBMITTED PHOTO A benefit event — a taco dinner and cornhole tournament - is scheduled for Saturday at the Midnight Ballroom for 18-month-old Gael Valdez. He recently had to have an eye surgically removed and is undergoing chemotherapy.

Marshalltown residents are rallying around the family of one of their youngest, who is facing an unimaginable battle for a child his age. A Midnight Ballroom taco dinner and cornhole tournament are scheduled for Saturday to benefit the family of 18-month-old Gael Valdez.

One of the benefit organizers, Gilbert Gonzales, said the family has been hit with sudden medical and travel expenses within the last few weeks. Gael was diagnosed with cancer, which has moved so quickly one of his eyes had to be surgically removed.

“His father, Bryan Valdez, is one of my friends and a [real estate agent] at Remax,” he said. “This happened out of nowhere. They took him to the doctor because they could tell something was wrong with his eye.”

After an appointment with an optometrist, Gael was referred to Iowa City for surgery to remove his eye. He is now undergoing chemo to save his other eye and to prevent the cancer from spreading, Gonzales said.

“One hundred percent of the money raised will be given to the family – Bryan, his wife Liz, their three daughters and Gael,” he said.

Gonzalez said many people helped put Saturday’s benefit together through their time or generosity, such as Katie and Dion Navarro – who he wanted to give a huge shout-out to – and Maria Gonzalez-Alvarez.

When the event was being organized, the owner of Midnight Ballroom, Luisa Ortega, said her venue could be used free of charge. Iowa Premium Beef donated 100 pounds of beef for the $10 taco plates. Gonzales’s brother Chase Trevino, owner of Capital City Baggers, donated everything necessary for a cornhole tournament. The cost for a team to enter is $50. Teams can register on Scoreholio.

“Right now there are 25 teams signed up,” Gonzalez said. “We expect more will sign up in the last few days.”

He encouraged everyone to come to the benefit, enjoy a three-taco plate with a side of rice and watch or participate in the tournament.

“We would like to raise $2,000 or more,” Gonzales said. “It would be cool to see everyone there helping.”

EVENT INFORMATION:

Name: Charity Cornhole Tournament for Baby Gael

Where: Midnight Ballroom

Address: 1706 S. Center

Day: Saturday

Time: Doors open at 5 p.m. and the tournament starts at 5:30 p.m.

GOFUNDME

A $10,000 GoFundMe page has been created to help the Alvarez family pay for medical expenses. So far, 54 people have given $3,265. Gonzalez said they will leave the page active for another month. The URL of the page is gofundme.com/f/help-bryans-baby-fight-eye-tumor?qid=e76107bb5eb0a983d2667d7ec8b3b0e9

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.