Fair Trade Soccer Match in Whalley

The Vancouver Whitecaps and the City of Surrey are teaming up with KidSport Canada and local refugee youth to kick off the first annual Fair Trade Soccer Match.

This family-friendly free public event will feature a Whitecaps autograph session, food and sport exhibitors, face painting and a special half-time Caneball match between the Surrey and Langley Minor League All-Star teams.

Just as the excitement of the 2010 FIFA World Cup starts to fade, the Fair Trade movement comes to Surrey in the form of a soccer ball.

KidSport Canada, a national organization that helps remove financial barriers that prevent youth from playing organized sports, is teaming up with the City of Surrey and the Vancouver Whitecaps for the Fair Trade Soccer Match.

Sporting a Fair Trade certified soccer ball, members of the Vancouver Whitecaps will join local refugee youth to challenge players from the Surrey and Whalley Minor League All-Stars to a friendly soccer game at the Tom Binnie field in Whalley on Saturday, Aug. 28 from 2-5 p.m. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m.

The event aims to bring together youth from different socio-economic backgrounds in the spirit of friendship and solidarity. The game will feature a Fair Trade certified soccer ball supplied by Social Conscience, the sole importer of Fair Trade certified sporting equipment in Metro Vancouver. The majority of the world’s soccer balls are hand-stitched in Pakistan, with child labour being a major issue in the industry. Fair Trade certification guarantees fair wages and working conditions and no child labour.

“Fair Trade helps to address the poor economic conditions that are at the root of why many youth have to leave their home countries in the first place,” said event co-organizer Korina Busse of KidSport Canada. “We hope that this match will not only be a fun and memorable event for everyone involved, but that is also brings awareness to refugee issues.”

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