SEATTLE — Seattle Sounders legend Fredy Montero will be sharing a cup of coffee and signing autographs for fans on Sunday at a local coffee shop that holds a special place in his heart.
Fredy and Alexis Montero are the proud owners of Santo Coffee in Seattle’s Roosevelt neighborhood. They are releasing a limited edition roast to help the children and families facing pediatric cardiac care at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Fredy said he is excited to meet fans and raise more money for Seattle Children’s life-saving research because the Montero’s credit the hospital for giving them extraordinary care during an unthinkable time.
Their daughter Margo was born with a heart defect last year and underwent surgery at just 5 days old.
“When you have a baby you’re excited to take it home. Especially since we have other kids who were at home waiting to meet Baby Margo,” Fredy said.
Alexis said it was a scary time for the family and having Seattle Children’s close to home made all the difference. The family wants to make sure other families facing similar challenges are cared for and are using their business and talents to do it.
The Montero’s passion for coffee has led to the creation of a limited-edition coffee blend called El Corazon, which translates to "The Heart" in Spanish, and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Seattle Children’s.
The Columbian beans are a tribute to Fredy’s home and he said “a lot of love and heart went into this blend and even the label is important.”
Artist Matt Lu created their logo and label that features their daughter's heart and faint words from a letter Fredy wrote to her in the hospital.
“We are surrounded by community every day in this coffee shop and when you’re in the hospital and scared you need a strong community around you to prop you up,” Alexis said.
The Monteros say they’ve learned a lot about congenital heart defects and want other parents to know that they’re not alone.
“We want to show families that these children can heal and live perfectly normal lives,” Alexis said.
Their daughter Margo is now a happy 15-month-old and is “running around doing all the baby things.”
Fredy Montero will be joined by several Sounders FC players this Sunday for an autograph session and a chance to purchase a limited edition bag of El Corazon at Santo Coffee in Seattle’s Roosevelt Neighborhood from 1-3 p.m.
An additional 250 bags of coffee will be sold online at at Scarves Fighting Cancer's website that’s run by the Seattle Children’s Guild.