The weekend of June 12 and 13 will bring to Utica one of the most exciting community events in our recent history.  As you know, soccer fans from around the world are eagerly anticipating the opening of the World Cup in Durban, South Africa, on June 11.  With more than 35 recent immigrant and refugee groups here in Utica (not to mention previous waves of Italian, Irish, Polish, and other immigrants), we have the world right here in Utica!

We are excited to announce Utica’s own international soccer tournament: the first annual Redeemer Cup.  As the fans and supporters look on at Proctor Park on Culver Ave in Utica, 16 teams will compete in representation of their communities (Belarusian, Bhutanese, Bosian, Burmese, Iraqi, Moroccan, Salvadoran, Somali and Sudanese to mention a few)  for the Utica’s 2010 Redeemer Cup. We would like to invite you to participate or cheer on the teams participating in the Redeemer Cup.

This event is brought to the community by Redeemer.tv. Our purpose in hosting the Redeemer Cup is simple, we want to create a bridge-building event that will bring people together and promote peace, friendship and a sense of community in our city.  We know that many of the athletes and fans have left their homes under extremely adverse conditions and have come to the United States for a second chance at life.  We want to celebrate with you your stories of redemption.

We anticipate a crowd of several hundred people.  Vendors will be offering food of both local and international variety.  Several local officials will be making appearances at our opening ceremonies, including Utica Mayor David Roefaro, County Executive Anthony Picente, and Director Peter Vogelaar of the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees.  Sunday afternoon, the winning team will be honored with a beautiful trophy in our closing ceremony.

If you have any questions, please contact Rick Andrew via email or call him at 315.792.4748 at Redeemer Church. For more information on the tournament visit our website at www.redeemercup.com.

Tournament Schedule

Saturday, June 12

10:00am  Opening Ceremonies
11:00am Groups A & B
12:00pm  Groups C & D
1:00pm  Groups A & B
2:00pm Groups C & D
3:00pm Groups A & B
4:00pm Groups C & D

Sunday, June 13

12:00pm Quarter Finals
12:50pm ZooMobile Presentation
1:45pm Semi-Finals
3:30pm Final Match
4:30pm  Closing Ceremony, Trophy Presentation