A Belle Glade community is rallying around a family after a crash killed a father and his 2 young sons.
Joel Rodriguez Roa, 48, and his sons — Joel Jr., 10, and Jacob, 5 — died in a crash Tuesday.
WATCH: Belle Glade community rallies
On Thursday, neighbors and friends gathered to support the boys' mother and their surviving sisters at a fundraiser in Pioneer Park, organized by a local business owner who coached one of the boys.
Octavio Muniz, owner of Pahokee O's Shaved Ice, donated all of his sales from Thursday to the family. Sugar'd Cowgirl also served at Pioneer Park today, donating 100% of its proceeds to the family.
"When I heard about what happened to Joel, was how can I help?” said Muniz.
Muniz said the decision to hold the fundraiser was easy. "It just made sense for us to do this for Joel and his family."
He said coaching Joel Jr. made the loss personal. "I had the honor of coaching Joel for the last 2 years. Joel was my third baseman and probably the only kid that could make the throw from 3rd to 1st."
Muniz remembered Joel Jr. as a joyful presence on and off the field. "He was bubbly, always smiling, always happy."
Friends of Joel Jr. said the loss has been difficult to process. "School will be different without him," Kandice Jones said.
Devontae Coney reflected on what Joel Jr. meant to him. "He was a great person to me. He helped me out with a lot of things."
Anthony Butler described the bond he shared with Joel Jr. "If I'm being honest, he was like a brother to me. Every time we'd saw each other, we would like play soccer."
Family friend Nadia Ramos said the grief runs deep for those who knew the family for years."It's very touching to lose someone that you know for years."
Ramos said she came out to show her support as a mother. "As a mother, I know the feeling of you know, a child, of what mothers would do so I'm here to support the family."
Evelia Tafoya, a resident who attended the fundraiser, said she understood the family's pain firsthand.
"I know the pain the family is in because I lost my grandson,” said Tafoya. “It’s very, very hard."
Muniz said the outpouring of support reflects the character of the community. "We're tight knit and we take care of each other."
He said he hopes the family feels the love surrounding them. "I want the family to know that we're here for them."
The community's support continues beyond Thursday's event. Cup of Joy Coffee Bar will hold a fundraiser Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with all proceeds going to the family. Norman's Drive Thru is also collecting monetary donations to help cover funeral expenses.
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