JUNIOR LEAGUE OF CINCINNATI’S REFUGEECONNECT AND RED CROSS HOST  FIRST ANNUAL WORLD REFUGEE DAY CUP SOCCER TOURNAMENT

Join Us to Celebrate World Refugee Day and Welcome Refugees in Greater Cincinnati

CINCINNATI, OH – JUNE 27, 2014 – The Junior League of Cincinnati (JLC), in partnership  with the Red Cross, is hosting its first annual World Refugee Day Cup Soccer Tournament on  Saturday, June 28, at Taft High School’s Stargel Stadium, 420 Ezzard Charles Drive, Cincinnati,  OH 45214, to celebrate World Refugee Day.

The event begins at 10:00 a.m. with an Opening Ceremony that includes a “Parade of Nations,”  with members of Cincinnati’s refugee community. The City of Cincinnati proclaimed June 28 as
the “First Annual World Refugee Day Cup” to recognize the City’s commitment to celebrating  and welcoming refugees to the Greater Cincinnati region.

“We are a nation of immigrants,” said Susan Shelton, President of the Junior League of  Cincinnati. “While many of our ancestors came to America generations ago, others arrived more recently to seek a better life in this country. We hope our community will embrace this inaugural event, which welcomes and supports the refugees who are now our newest neighbors and friends.”

A total of 16 teams will compete in a World Cup-style tournament, beginning at 10:30 a.m. There will be eight adult teams and eight teams of high-school students, representing the following countries: Myanmar/Burma, Burundi, Bhutan, Ethiopia, Somalia, West Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Kenya, and USA. Following the tournament, attendees will be able to watch the Lady Saints and Cincy Saints professional soccer teams beginning at 5:00 p.m.

The day includes a series of kid-friendly activities, including a “Soccer Shoot-Out” beginning at 12:30 p.m. In addition, there will be a mini-cheer camp for aspiring cheerleaders, face painting, kids’ crafts, and the opportunity to get autographs from Cincy Saints players.

Also, there will be a comprehensive Resource Fair to better educate and connect attendees with service providers. Participants include: Red Cross, YMCA, Beech Acres Parenting Center, HIAS/US Together, Jewish Family Services, 4C for Children, Green Umbrella, Cincinnati Health Department, APNET, Mobo Bicycle, and Global Translations.

“The Red Cross is pleased to support this inaugural event. We have a long relationship with refugees in the Cincinnati Area and have helped bring many families together,” said Trish
Smitson, CEO, Greater Cincinnati-Dayton Region. “The Red Cross is committed to working to connect families through our international and local services, including Restoring Family Links.”

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross is part of the world’s largest humanitarian network with 13 million volunteers in 187 countries. Working together, we help respond to disasters, build safer communities, and teach the rules of war. Each year, we reach an average of more than 100 million people across the globe. Our mission is to alleviate human sufferings through immediate as well as long term relief efforts in disasters and conflict. Through the International Services Department, we connect families separated by conflict and disasters with our program Restoring Family Links.

Red Cross Contact: Kaiya Kinley Barrett, 513-490-8055 cell

About RefugeeConnect:
The RefugeeConnect project educates, unites, and engages Greater Cincinnati to improve the lives of resettled refugees. Its primary goal is to construct a sustainable support system through a physical and virtual resource center, which will connect refugees with available resources in the community. At any given time, there are from 12,000 to 25,000 refugees who live in the Greater Cincinnati area, primarily coming from Bhutan, Burundi, Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Burma, Vietnam, Russia, and Iraq. Annually, approximately 200 refugees are relocated to the Greater Cincinnati region through resettlement agencies, while other refugees move from various cities in the U.S. to be reunited with their families and have access to better employment opportunities.

About Junior League of Cincinnati:
The Junior League of Cincinnati has been a part of the Greater Cincinnati community for more than 90 years and has almost 1,000 members across all social and professional strata. It is committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. As a service-based, non-profit organization, the Junior League of Cincinnati educates its members and the community about current public affairs to strengthen its ability to make an impact on the lives of those it serves.