VISF Soccer Festival: A local taste of FIFA

Last Saturday I got up early to check out the opening of the 2010 Vancouver International Soccer Festival. With the weather being pretty unsettled this weekend, it was hard to convince friends and family to come, but I tried my darndest. However, with my little involvement helping to write marketing materials for the event, I got to see how BIG this festival really is in heart. The production standards were quite impressive too, as you’ll find out.

I got on the Canada Line just before 10am so I thought I’d missed Mayor Gregor Robertson giving opening remarks, but turns out I was just in time to see Chief Ernest C. Campbell of the Musqueam Nation (at right, photos below).

Adri Hamael gives opening remarks, wearing a “One Team United” VISF t-shirt

Mayor Gregor Robertson opens the festival

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VISF Fundraiser for the ‘Peace Team’

I wouldn’t normally blog on a private event, but this fundraiser I went to Friday night has such a good cause that I just have to!

The Vancouver International Soccer Festival is coming up soon on June 26-27, and they held a fundraiser last Friday for the Israel-Palestine co-ed soccer team’s expenses to travel and play at this year’s soccer festival. With 48 teams from all around the world, the VISF is no stranger to these controversial countries, but Founder Adri Hamael was excited to once again announce that these countries would be playing together on the field at this year’s festival under the name the ‘Peace Team‘ to show how countries can be united, if not politically.

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