10th Annual Evanston Unity Soccer Festival July 13th

Join the festivities this Saturday, July 13th on the Robert Crown turf fields for the 10th Annual Evanston Unity Soccer Festival. Make sure to register your team soon! The festival caps the number of teams at 60.

As board member and long-time participant Dan Rogan said, "The purpose of the festival is to celebrate the beautiful game of soccer and the diverse group of people who play." Anyone between 18-88 can come out and play in this 4 VS 4 festival divided into three age groups. Marley is for the youngest, Chavez for those roughly between 30-45 years old and finally the M.L.K. group for anyone over 40. Each team is guaranteed at least 3 games. Click on the following link to register. Find more details on the website: Evanstonsoccerfestival.com

"This is a special year, " said Festival Chair, Elliott Hurtig, "because it is our 10th Annual and each year it grows more and more. We started with 12 teams and now we are up to 60!" Proceeds from the event help provide scholarships for families in Evanston who are in need of financial assistance for their kids to play soccer. "Last year we tripled the number of scholarships we offered," added board member Vivienne Jones, "which is really cool to see and know that we are helping out so many kids play the game we love."

What separates this festival from most soccer events is that it is all about building community and having a good time. In fact, the only trophy handed out is "The Unity Cup" for the team showing the most sportsmanship. Previous winners of the Cup include Campagnola Restaurant, GPSC (Gross Point Social Club), and JaHbat FC.

Steve Favakeh who always makes time to play in the event said, "I love how many people I meet during the day and just how good the vibes are. No one is there to 'win' because just by showing up and meeting new people we are all winners. It is truly a special day that I always look forward to and carry a smile on my face for weeks after taking it all in."