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About Us
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Marcos Faguada
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was a typical 4, almost 5-year-old boy. Excited about cookies, coloring and waiting for Santa Claus. Marcos was an outspoken, opinionated, funny little boy. He loved to play, laugh and tell jokes with his cousins. In the final moments of the car ride that would eventually take his life, he sang silly Christmas carols with his aunt and cousin. On December 13, 2022 Marcos and his aunt and cousin were struck head on by a vehicle involved in a street race at a rate of 112 miles per hour. Later that night as family and friends anxiously waited news of his condition, Marcos was called to heaven.
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In his short life, Marcos was rarely unhappy. He was the baby of the family, and as such, most of his requests were obliged. He was a sweet, considerate little boy. At times stubborn and apprehensive, Marcos was always able to overcome his fears with a little bit of love and support. Most recently, starting preschool. He once tried to avoid going to school by saying his teacher, Miss Howard, hit him. He was intelligent and clever, always finding ways to remind us of this! Marcos was like any other child, excited about life and ready to give his love to everyone he crossed paths with.
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Our Mission and Vision
Our Mission: Helping to transform children’s lives through community service, education, and exploration in remembrance of Marcos Faguada.
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Our Vision: For children of our community to have agency and the ability to experience all that life has to offer, even in childhood.
Core values:
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Child Welfare: In order for children to have agency, they must have their basic needs met first.
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Scholarship: In order for children to reach their full potential they must also have access to quality education.
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Community Partnership: In order to expand and further our mission, we must enlist like-minded community members.
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FUN!: We aim to create lasting moments of joy for children, and that involves creating opportunities for FUN!
Who we Serve: Children and Families
Tagline: Long Live Marcos Foundation, Helping children live full lives.
In honor of his life, the Long Live Marcos Foundation aims to provide children the same opportunities to thrive as Marcos did throughout his time on earth. By having a vested interest in child welfare we hope to prevent any instances of early trauma in the lives of children. We will accomplish this by donating to child welfare agencies across Iowa and stepping in to support families through grief and child loss. By creating communities of healing and erasing the stigmas that often come with change and taking care of our mental health, we hope to change outcomes for children across Iowa. Eventually, we hope to offer grief counseling services to children and families that need them, free of cost.
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Marcos was a preschool student at St. Anthony’s Catholic School. He absolutely loved his teachers and classmates. Presented with the idea of switching schools for kindergarten due to the cost of tuition, Marcos was distraught! In honor of the love, support and village that surrounded Marcos at St. Anthony’s, we want to give back with the Marcos Faguada Scholarship to help students who otherwise might not be able to afford private school tuition. We hope to expand this program and offer scholarships across the board for students of all ages. Part of supporting children in living the fullest lives possible, is supporting them in their unique education needs. As the foundation grows, we hope to find new ways to support students in their studies.
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On the night of the accident, Marcos was volunteering at the Young Women’s Resource Center. To honor the excitement he had participating in a community event, we want to create lasting partnerships in the community. Partnerships with like-minded organizations will only help to further the mission of enriching children’s lives. As part of the network we hope to create, we also hope to instill a value for community service in the children we work with. Just as we cannot recover from tragedy alone, we cannot thrive alone – that is where we hope to come in and create community for those who might feel alone in their circumstances.
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The final core value we hold near to our heart is fun. Marcos was an explorer, always curious and asking questions. He traveled to 4 different countries and all throughout the United States, always enjoying new adventures. We believe all children deserve to experience and remember their childhood as one filled with joy. To honor Marcos fun loving spirit, we hope to host events and create space at events for children to have fun – at no cost to them or their caregivers. Overall, we hope to be the force that removes barriers (often created by adults) that prevent children from living to their fullest potential – just like Marcos did.