2nd annual Redeemer Cup brings Utica community together
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - The City of Utica was in the spotlight earlier this week when Utica Mayor David Roefaro testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee as they took up the topic of immigration reform.
What he told the Senate panel was on display in real life Saturday at Utica's Proctor Park. hat's where the Redeemer Church held its second annual Redeemer Cup International Soccer Tournament. More than a dozen different countries are represented by teams on the field. Somali-Bantu player Abdi Hassam says it's a tournament that has quickly become popular. He said, "this is the way we kind of introduce each other and which community and which community and we be friendly playing as a team, soccer." NEWSChannel 2 anchor Bill Worden emceed the event. He is also a member of Redeemer Church. Worden said, "We came up with the idea probably three years ago and the idea was to form a bridge building effort in Utica to bring the immigrant population together with Uticans." Worden adds, "Our grandfathers, our great grandfathers came here as immigrants and now there's a whole new generation of young people and their parents of course coming from all of these foreign countries, many of them coming from untold poverty and, and trouble." Mayor Roefaro also spoke during the opening ceremonies. He said, "Utica is built on immigration, the country's built on immigration and this is just an example of it today." Event organizer Pastor Rick Andrew of Redeemer Church says soccer is a unifying instrument. The pastor said, "We're gathering together around soccer, but it's not about the soccer itself, but about the gathering. There's people, there's music, there's food, there's local food, there's fun stuff for the kids." Oneida County Legislator Ed Welsh was onhand Saturday as well and agrees soccer is a great idea to bring anyone from the international community together. He said, "no matter what language you speak, no matter where you come from, the game is the game." Pastor Rick Andrew says this idea could catch on around the country. In fact he says it already has, an hour west, in Syracuse. He said, "There is a tournament just like this that has begun just this summer in Syracuse. There is a Napali gentleman, actually a pastor from a church out there, he came out for our tournament last year and started it up in Syracuse this year." The Redeemer Cup continues at Proctor Park through Sunday. |
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