The 3rd annual Multicultural Cup brought out the best in everyone. Over 100 boys and girls from three schools and three different neighborhoods trekked to Haas Park in Logan Square for a very special Work to Play Game Day. The local Work to Play school Goethe hosted their friends from Jahn and Morton for a day of soccer and some cultural learning.
As kids from the Goethe team arrived with smiles on their face, Jahn and Morton pulled up in the yellow schools busses and ran onto the Haas Park turf field. They all quickly formed teams of 7 and began enjoying the day with their volunteer coaches from the Urban Initiatives Junior Board. Some kids began the day with a little soccer where they were able to share what they have learned during the first week of the Work to Play season with their families and coaches.
The other half of the three schools participated in three multicultural stations that were set up to teach them a few new things about cultures from around the world. The mural station gave kids the chance to share their favorite things about the Work to Play program with markers and crayons as their tools to tell their story.
The music and Portuguese station introduced the kids to new tunes and a new language. Junior Board volunteer Marley Bellwood said, “The kids learning about different kinds of music throughout other cultures was exciting and they loved looking at the old records we were playing.” While the very popular salsa dancing station had kids spinning and grooving as they learned new dance moves, which they practiced each time they scored a goal!
After everyone played and learned it was time to break bread. Kids and volunteers enjoyed some hummus, tabouli, chicken schwarma and flatbread to end their day. These new foods and lessons at the Multicultural Cup opened an entirely new world to the kids and even the volunteers. Junior Board member Daniel Diaz added, “The Multicultural Cup is one of my favorite Urban Initiatives events of the year— it’s the perfect combination of soccer and group activities. The kids love the game and are enthusiastic for more; the Multicultural Cup delivers a wonderful atmosphere to learn the sport, with team building and fun, to boot!”
Urban Initiatives would like to thank Joe Henry and Haas Park, Tony Porfirio for providing the electricity for our music station, the Junior Board and all the volunteers that made the Multicultural Cup possible! See everyone next year!