Common Goal<\/a> teamed up with Canada SCORES to help run the World Cup escort program, which attracted the likes of Surrey students who were the first in line to make this wish a reality.<\/p>\n\u201cWe were very fortunate with that,\u201d Program facilitator with CSP James Daniels told Surrey Schools. \u201cAny students already in the program got priority, and so already being with Canada SCORES, we were able to send as many kids as we could, which ended up being around 95.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those 95 students that were selected came from several Surrey schools, all in which came from programs that serve students and families who otherwise wouldn\u2019t have the chance to take part in team sports.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe excitement from the kids and their families has been amazing,\u201d said Daniels. \u201cWith this program, we\u2019re usually able to take kids to the Whitecaps games, but this is on a whole other level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Surrey Schools says this experience started early on match days, when students were bussed directly from Surrey to BC Place. The students spent the hours before kickoff in their own green room stocked with food, drinks and video game consoles running the latest FIFA game.<\/p>\n
After students walked hand-in-hand onto the pitch with the player, they had the chance to watch the match from the lower bowl.<\/p>\n
Surrey Schools says students participated in six of the seven matches being held in Vancouver for this year\u2019s World Cup. This included Canada\u2019s historic match against Qatar on June 18, where the Canadian men\u2019s team secured its first-ever World Cup win.<\/p>\n
Daniels told Surrey Schools that whenever organizers could they would try to pair students with matches that would mean the most to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the Egypt vs. New Zealand game, we really pushed for Hjorth Road Elementary to take part in that because there\u2019s a large Egyptian population at that school,\u201d explained Daniels. \u201cSo those kids got to walk out with Egypt and Mohamed Salah, for their historic first-win match as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniels tells Surrey Schools that he hopes these are the moments that will stay with the students long after the tournament leaves Vancouver.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re just so thankful to Canada SCORES and Common Goal for these opportunities,\u201d he said. \u201cThese experiences will be lifetime memories for these children. They got to participate in historic sporting events, and you can never put a price on that kind of experience.\u201d<\/p>\n