Daniel Hernandez Jr. Memorial Softball Tournament recognized by Brawley City Council
BRAWLEY – Friends and family recently celebrated the life of Daniel “Boogah” Hernandez Jr. with an annual memorial softball tournament now in its fourth year.
The event was officially acknowledged by Brawley City Council members on May 16, where Mayor George Nava read a proclamation recognizing the “cherished tradition” that serves as a reminder of “the enduring power of love, friendship, and community in the face of loss and grief.”
Boogah’s life was tragically cut short on May 30, 2018 when the 24 year-old was fatally shot in a parked vehicle on the east end of Main Street in Brawley. He is survived by his parents, Daniel Sr. and Rachel Hernandez, his partner, Luisa Villalobos, and their three children, Dalayna, Daniel “Cito” III, and Dazzlyn.
The much-anticipated memorial was held on the morning of May 6 at Hinojosa Park in Brawley where participants were fortunate enough to run bases and reminisce in breezy, 80 degree weather, event organizer Adam Duran said.
Thanks to close relationships with his cousins and extended family, as well as having had a reputation for being a good-hearted jokester and life of the party, it came as no surprise to organizers that the event drew as many participants as it does annually.
“The amount of people that show up tells us that he was loved by many,” Duran said.
Duran said the growing Co-ed competition typically hosts about ten teams as resources cannot yet accommodate any more. Slots usually fill up in as little as two days, and that the event is hoping to host as many as sixteen teams in the future.
In addition to largely local participants, Duran said they regularly host players from Palm Desert and sometimes Arizona.
This year’s tournament, which started at 8 a.m., did not see the conclusion of its championship game until around 8 p.m. that evening.
“This year was very competitive,” Duran said. There were several close games this year, which came down to the last inning and a couple of walk-offs.
“It says a lot that even the eliminated teams stayed until the end,” Duran said.
While the tournament is limited to players 18 years of age or older, with some exception for high schoolers with waivers, organizers said the Daniel “Boogah” Hernandez Jr. Memorial Softball Tournament is truly an event for the whole family.
According to Duran, kids at the event spent the day playing basketball, wiffle ball, and “having a blast.” This year’s vendor served up ‘Clamatos preparados,’ while kids and adults alike worked up an appetite.
The competition concluded with an awards ceremony where trophies and rings donated by Kaz Bro’s were handed out. This year’s winning team was the “Cal Bombers,” which consisted of correctional officers from Calipatria and Centinela state prisons.
After all fees are paid, Duran said the remainder of the funds from the event are donated to the mother of Boogah’s three children.
Brawley City Councilmember Gil Rebollar summarized Boogah’s legacy at the city council meeting following the proclamation in saying, “You don’t have to be involved, you don’t have to be a politician, you just have to be you.”
“Being authentic, being yourself, you can still make an impact,” he said.