Imagine a soccer tournament. You probably have an image in mind, of a frenzy fueled by excited young children stuffing themselves with popsicles and dragging their cleats across the asphalt to the dismay of parents.
Now imagine a soccer tournament, but one that takes place on an upscale terrace in Montreal and whose participants are adults. You see a charcuterie platter, a DJ, a bar with three waiters, and a picturesque, social media-friendly sunset, all in an urban setting.
This is exactly how the first G.O.A.L charity soccer tournament went, organized last Thursday by Anywr to support newcomers to the Montreal area.
What’s more, CF Montreal winger Jojea Kwizera also made his rounds at the event. The one who passed through refugee camps felt challenged by the cause and when asked, he did not hesitate for a second.
“I think if people can relate to me, because I’ve been in that situation, that’s good. We must not forget that there is another door in this kind of situation. If I can help people, I am someone who is easily accessible. […] If I can only give advice or just be someone to talk to, I’m always there,” noted Kwizera, who moved from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Tanzania before arriving with family. reception in the United States.
Kwizera had also told La Presse about his extraordinary journey when he joined the CFM last summer.
Thanks to this event, $50,000 was raised for the Collectif Bienvenue, an NPO that supports asylum seekers, refugees and newcomers living in precarious situations. This money will cover most of the costs generated by the development of a computer space that will help the transition of migrants to Montreal.
“For some organizations, you give them $50,000 and in the end it’s not much. For them [Le Collectif Bienvenue], it will be really important and it will fall directly into their pockets without too many management costs, “said Nicolas Vaudenay, the director of the Canadian subsidiary of Anywr. This is why his choice fell on this organization in addition to being consistent with the company’s mission.
The Welcome Collective could not be happier and more certain that this money would help the adaptation of migrants.
“Often, we receive families who speak French, but who do not have good computer skills,” said Melissa Claisse, communications coordinator for the organization.
“They need help with the form. But honestly, anyone could use some help with these forms, they are so complicated. It takes full days to complete them even with a specialized worker. […] This amount will help to create this space, but also to maintain it. »
The idea of holding a soccer tournament on the roof of the company’s offices came from Pascale Brochu, the vice-president of business development for the Canadian subsidiary of Anywr. Enjoying said terrace was imperative and what better than to organize a soccer tournament there, the most popular sport on the planet and the most practiced in Canada?
This decision was the right one since Ms. Brochu admits to having been “pleasantly surprised” because she had “no difficulty in selling the team places”. A total of 100 people attended the event.
