{"id":570109,"date":"2026-03-30T05:24:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T05:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/570109\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T05:24:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T05:24:09","slug":"soccer-festival-returns-for-vulnerable-youth-brandon-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/570109\/","title":{"rendered":"Soccer festival returns for vulnerable youth \u2013 Brandon Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plans are underway for the second annual Family Fun Soccer Festival hosted by Westman Youth for Christ, with registration now open.<\/p>\n

The event aims to bring families, youth and local organizations together through sport while raising funds to support vulnerable young people in the region.<\/p>\n

Bukky Emmanuel, director of housing with Westman Youth for Christ, told the Sun the festival was created to unite the community around a meaningful cause in an accessible and engaging way.<\/p>\n

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Youth for Christ\u2019s Family Fun Soccer Festival co-ordinators Bukky Emmanuel (left) and Travia Sass pose for a picture during last year\u2019s festival. (Abiola Odutola\/The Brandon Sun files)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea behind launching the Family Fun Soccer Festival really came from a desire to create something that brings the whole community together in a positive, accessible way while supporting a serious cause,\u201d Emmanuel said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe saw sport \u2014 especially soccer \u2014 as a universal language. It breaks down barriers, builds relationships, and creates an environment where youth and families can connect while also raising critical funds for programs that change lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

With registration already underway, Emmanuel said organizers are encouraged by the response so far.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a noticeable buzz building around the event, she said. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see returning participants as well as new teams joining in, which shows that the festival is starting to establish itself as something the community values and looks forward to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Funds raised from the festival will go toward supporting youth experiencing homelessness and those battling addictions. Emmanuel said the money will help provide safe housing, mentorship, meals and consistent support from staff and volunteers.<\/p>\n

Programs expected to benefit include outreach initiatives, transitional housing and addiction recovery services \u2014 areas she described as resource-intensive but deeply impactful.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe funds help ensure that youth not only have immediate needs met, but also receive the guidance and stability needed to move forward in a healthy direction,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Emmanuel said sport plays a key role in the organization\u2019s approach, particularly soccer, which she described as inclusive and team-oriented.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives young people a positive outlet for energy and stress, while also teaching important life skills like teamwork, discipline, and resilience,\u201d she said. \u201cMore importantly, it creates a space where relationships can form naturally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following the success of last year\u2019s inaugural event, organizers have already seen signs of impact beyond fundraising. Emmanuel noted stronger community connections, increased awareness of Youth for Christ\u2019s mission, and greater engagement from youth participants.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome youth who participated became more engaged in ongoing programs afterward, and we\u2019ve seen increased awareness and support from local businesses and volunteers,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Community members interested in supporting the initiative can register teams, volunteer, sponsor participants or contribute donations. Local businesses are also encouraged to partner through sponsorships or in-kind support.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, the festival is about more than soccer,\u201d Emmanuel said. \u201cIt\u2019s about creating hope, building community, and making sure that every young person knows they\u2019re not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00bb aodutola@brandonsun.com<\/p>\n

\u00bb X: @AbiolaOdutola<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Plans are underway for the second annual Family Fun Soccer Festival hosted by Westman Youth for Christ, with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":570110,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":[49,48,561,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-570109","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-soccer","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-soccer","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=570109"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570109\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/570110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=570109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=570109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=570109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}