"Official opening ceremony of the Global Football Festival"

The Global Football Festival is an annual event that has been held in Canterbury for many years, bringing together diverse communities for a weekend of family fun. This year this exciting festival takes place in the lead up to the U20 FIFA World Cup 2015 and we have over 30 teams taking part made up of under 18 and under 13 teams and 20 adult teams!

The theme for this year’s festival is to highlight domestic violence and personal wellbeing by supporting White Ribbon and the Canterbury ‘All Right’ campaign. Support the festival’s theme by posting a selfie on Twitter with the hashtag #EndViolence4Canterbury in the lead up to and during the festival itself! A live feed of the hashtag will be shown on the Canterbury Family Violence Collaboration’s White Ribbon website www.canterburyfvc.co.nz/get-involved/white-ribbon-2014 .

Canterbury Police Prevention Manager, Inspector Richard Bruce says “We are proud to support the festival as it brings together the diverse communities in Canterbury and everyone, no matter what their ethnicity, can communicate through the common language of sport. By taking part in the festival teams and spectators are raising the awareness to the community that family violence is simply ‘not ok’ and personal wellbeing should never be overlooked.”

Teams and sponsors will join members of the public at the official opening on Friday (20 February 2015) where representatives from Christchurch City Council, Canterbury Police, FIFA U20 World Cup 2015 and Christchurch Migrants Centre Trust will kick off the festival.

Organisers encourage those who aren’t watching the ICC Cricket World Cup to come along to Avonhead Park to watch the teams pitch their skills against each other on Saturday and Sunday(21/22 February 2015). From 12-1pm on Saturday the teams will be cooking up a feast off the pitch as they prepare and share traditional food from the country they represent. An ‘all stars’ team, consisting of players selected from teams not playing in the finals, will compete against the Canterbury Police team on Sunday at 1pm.

Sponsors of the event include Christchurch City Council, New Zealand Police, Canterbury Fijian Association, Christchurch Migrants Centre Trust, Te Whare Ta Wahi ‘All Right’ campaign, Canterbury Community and Public Health and Pegasus Health (Charitable) Ltd.

ENDS

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