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Pace
SOUTHFIELD — With a heavy heart, the Southfield-Lathrup Falcons have decided to cancel their first game of the season to mourn the tragic loss of Monea Pace. They dedicated the remainder of their football season to her memory.
On Friday, July 14, 10-year-old Pace was having trouble breathing and then collapsed during cheer practice. First responders attempted lifesaving procedures, but Pace remained unconscious and later passed away at the hospital that evening of unknown causes.
Around 400 people gathered to honor Pace’s memory and pray with the family at a candlelight vigil held on Tuesday, July 18, at Thompson K-8 International Academy, on the field where the Falcons practice. The vigil was followed by a funeral Saturday, July 22.
“She was a sweet little girl. She was silly and always smiling. And always very enthusiastic. She had a sisterly bond with her fellow cheerleaders and her coaches. It’s just a tragedy for all of us, and we’re doing what we can to help the family as they grieve,” stated Kim Smith, the cheer director of the Falcons.
The Southfield-Lathrup Junior Football League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1955 to provide youth football, cheer and dance programs in Southfield, Lathrup Village and surrounding areas. The league consists of around 160 cheerleaders and 350 football players, and is run by unpaid volunteers.
Pace is remembered as an incredibly talented individual who had a deep love and passion for cheerleading. In fact, she had won a yearlong scholarship to a dance academy.
Smith expressed that losing Pace felt like losing a member of the team’s family.
“We’re a large organization with a lot of children, a lot of people and a lot of families. Even Monea had cousins who cheered and cousins who played football too. I mean, it’s a big organization that families get involved with, and we embrace them. And we’ve all become a family, because our season starts early in December. So we’re together often. You see these girls and boys and their parents and relatives every day for several months. So that’s why we’re so impacted by the loss because it’s like a family member.”
The Falcons organized a GoFundMe to help the family with funeral expenses.
For more information on how to help, visit www.gofundme.com. For more information on the Falcons, visit www.southfieldfalcons.org.
