One Lowell World Cup
The event is a multi-cultural, family-friendly adult soccer tournament designed to build unity among diverse ethnic groups as well as with the host community through the universal love of soccer. Teams representing 24 countries feature the region’s finest players. The weekend long event brings in thousands of fans to share in the excitement of the games as well as international food and music.
About You
Section 1: You
First Name
Felicia
Last Name
Sullivan
Website URL
Organization
ONE Lowell
Country
United States, MA
Section 2: Your Organization
Organization Name
ONE Lowell
Organization Website
Organization Phone
978-654-6957
Organization Address
9 Central Street - Suite 203, Lowell, MA 01852
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Organization Country
United States, MA
Your idea
Name Your Project
One Lowell World Cup
Country and state your work focuses on
United States, MA
Describe Your Idea
The event is a multi-cultural, family-friendly adult soccer tournament designed to build unity among diverse ethnic groups as well as with the host community through the universal love of soccer. Teams representing 24 countries feature the region’s finest players. The weekend long event brings in thousands of fans to share in the excitement of the games as well as international food and music.
Website URL
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
Our idea is unique is several important ways: 1) through a single event, that takes place over two consecutive weekends, we are able to simultaneously achieve many goals, all while having a whole lot of fun; 2)our event is self-sustaining and even generates some profit for our organization, 3) it brings together very large groups of people who otherwise would not come together, 4)it utilizes volunteers very effectively, providing them with leadership and responsibility that leads to ownership of the event.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
The tournament gathers together over 2500 people of diverse backgrounds to 1) promote integration and social relationships between the immigrant/refugee communities and the host community, 2) build social and political cohesiveness among the region’s large and diverse immigrant and refugee communities, 3) showcase local talent that otherwise would have no venue, 4) promote a positive image of immigrant and refugee residents among the general public by showcasing their skill, 5)increase pride among immigrant groups, and 6)generate revenue for our non-profit organization. These goals have been achieved with huge success, which has had a positive impact on our organization financially and in achieving our mission. In addition, it has had a strong positive impact on the regional immigrant and refugee communities.
Since starting the tournament in 2007, we have facilitated relationship building among teams from many countries. Previously, most played soccer in leagues that were only African or only Hispanic (etc.). Now, coaches directly call teams from other countries as a means to engage in friendly games before and after the tournament. These relationships would not have been possible without the tournament facilitating this bridge building. We know that the tournament is having a huge impact on the communities we serve by observing its amazing growth. The first three years we stuck with 16 teams because of the complexity of the tournament. Each year we had more teams that we had to turn away. Therefore, this summer we are increasing the number of teams to 24 and increasing the two day event to three days. We have also watched the fan base grow from about 1200 the first year to around 4000 last summer. Finally, our city is seeing the tournament as a city event rather than simply an event by our organization. This week we were asked to sponsor an event at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, in which the focus is on building peace through sports.
Problem
Our organizing and advocacy work is impacted by a lack of integration between immigrant groups, as we have found that they have difficulty uniting for changes that will help everyone. Just as they face language and cultural barriers with the host culture, they face these same barriers with one another. The mission of ONE Lowell is to bring all of the groups together with the host culture and with one another for the purpose of integrating everyone into the fabric of the host community but also with one another.
We had to get involved because this lack of a unified voice results in a lack of political support for issues facing immigrants at the local, state, and national levels. This lack of organization can have negative consequences for the immigrant community. Therefore, we are always looking for ways to increase integration with the host community while promoting a realistic and positive image of immigrants.
Actions
In 2007 we initiated the ONE Lowell World Cup, a multi-cultural, family-friendly adult soccer tournament designed to build unity among diverse ethnic groups as well as with the host community through the universal love of soccer. Teams representing 24 countries from around the world feature the region’s finest amateur players. The weekend long event brings in thousands of fans to share in the excitement of the games as well as food and music from around the world. Teams compete in a round robin style tournament culminating in Sunday’s championship match. The tournament occurs at the Cawley Stadium Complex in Lowell, MA. Two games are simultaneously played throughout the three days, one game in the stadium and the other a few yards away at the Varsity Field. Over the three years of the tournament our expenses averaged $19,307 per year and our revenue averaged $29,174, thereby turning an average profit per year of $9867. Not only is our model sustainable, but we manage to make a profit that can be used for other programs of the organization.
Results
The six tournament goals are mentioned above. We see increased integration between members of the host culture with newcomers. We’ve had terrific media coverage in the mainstream media (local and national) and the immigrant media. Spectators and sponsors increased 50% between the first and second year and 25% between the second and third. The yearly average profit generated from the tournament is $9867. We have gone from multiple team entries from single countries in 2007 to 16 teams representing unique nations in 2009, and we will be increasing that to 24 this year. Attendance at the event has grown from 1200 spectators in 2007 to 2000 in 2008 and over 2500 in 2009. In 2009, we introduced a youth-oriented event for kids ages 10 – 14. Fifty contestants vied for the prize. The 40 to 60 referees and volunteers who make the event possible every year come from both the immigrant and host communities. Of the 140 sponsors and 39 vendors who have contributed to the financial and material success of the event over the past three years, about half (69) come from newcomer community and about half (71) come from the host community. In addition, please see the section on impact.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
We have grown our capacity to run a well-functioning and fun event. Our tournament director along with volunteers, referees, teams, staff, and board ensure that the event happens smoothly with a lot of participation from both newcomer and host community members. The business community has also stepped up to provide key sponsorship dollars to the event and the spectators have continued to make the event worthwhile. We need all of these groups to continue making the event a continued success and it looks like our fourth year, 2010, is off to a great start. Our tournament planning committee has already begun meeting. The date is set. The field is secured and the teams are starting to register. We also are growing our fundraising and marketing expertise as well.
What would prevent your project from being a success?
Simply based on team fees and the $5.00 all day entrance fee, the tournament covers all but about $5000 of the costs. These costs are covered primarily by corporate sponsorships, with additional sponsorships yielding a profit to the organization. We saw a decrease in sponsorships last summer due to the recession, which we see as the only thing that could prevent the tournament from being a success. Our fundraising and marketing skill and capacity could also improve. The ONE Lowell executive director still plays a key role in ensuring that the sponsors and marketing are done in a timely fashion. However, she splits her efforts with the strategic oversight of the organization's other programs. We recognize that for the event to maximize its income-generating potential, dedicated fundraising and marketing effort needs to be spent. However, we simply don't have the resources currently to ensure that this happens. With such expertise we are confident that we can increase the spectator base and sponsorships that will generate the income that sustains the tournament and brings additional revenue to the organization for our other valuable programs that serve the immigrant and refugee communities in our city.
How many people will your project serve annually?
1001‐10,000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
$100 ‐ 1000
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Yes
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
In what country?
United States, MA
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Yes
If yes, provide organization name.
ONE Lowell
How long has this organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?
Yes
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
The ONE Lowell World Cup would not succeed without the enthusiastic support and involvement of the various immigrant communities who come to play, watch and participate in the tournament. The teams provide input into the planning process and make recommendations each year. Our local city government and local elected officials are critical in ensuring that we have the public space to play and conduct the tournament. Our board members actively volunteer and the tournament planning committee is comprised of players, local business professionals, ONE Lowell staff, NGO partner agencies and committed volunteers. We get volunteers who help during the event from local banks and non-profits as well. Some non-profits use our venue to provide information to our players and spectators on programs that would benefit them. We would not be able to pull off this major event without the participation of all of these groups.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
1) We need expert assistance and man power in growing our sponsorships;
2) We need expert assistance and man power in growing our marketing outreach;
3) We need a stronger partnership with our city, which we are working on.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
During a meeting between our staff and board, which included people from Cambodia, Colombia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Canada, Cameroon, Puerto Rico, Vietnam, and the USA, we brainstormed about having a fundraising event in which those we served could participate. (Most fundraisers for nonprofits are too expensive for their clients to participate). We wanted an event that would cross cultures, increase integration, and promote a positive public perception of newcomers. While many places in Massachusetts are immigrant-friendly, our area is more conservative than most. For example, our city was the place for a serious hate crime in 2002 when Indian immigrants were violently assaulted by three youth from the host community shortly after 9-11. Our local newspaper regularly editorializes against “illegal aliens” while promoting an unfair image of immigrant families and our community is further stigmatized by on-going issues with gangs from our Cambodian community.
While a number of creative ideas were thrown out during our brainstorming session, (like a multi-cultural dinner or fashion show), when a multi-cultural soccer tournament was brought up, we had a collective group – “THAT’S IT!”
In addition to meeting our initial goals, the World Cup shows that many great athletes are living among us. Americans practically worship athletes and, while soccer is still not up there with baseball, football, or basketball, it is definitely rising quickly in popularity because nearly every child in New England plays youth soccer at some point during their childhood.
We believe that it is critical to demonstrate to the American public the value of immigrants to America. Since 2001, the economy and 9-11 have both fed the flames of xenophobia. People always need scapegoats and immigrants are easily blamed for the social, political, and economic upheaval over the last decade. As immigrants are scapegoated, they became more fearful and have internalized much of this oppression. We believe that the ONE Lowell World Cup is an awesome means for demonstrating some visible strengths of the immigrant/refugee communities while bringing together many people across many different cultural groups. The relationships that are formed at these events have been critical in helping the immigrant groups integrate into the host culture and have also had a tremendous impact in creating a sense of pride – which every person, no matter where they are from, needs to succeed. The tournament is extremely popular: since the first year of the event we generally have about 10 teams on our waiting list, hoping to get a chance to play. The ONE Lowell World Cup has rapidly become the most prestigious event in the region that brings together so many different immigrant groups with the host culture.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
The idea came out the collective brainstorming of the ONE Lowell Board of Directors and the organization's staff. This combined body represents individuals from eight different countries (Cambodia, Colombia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Canada, Cameroon, Puerto Rico, Vietnam, and the USA) with the majority being immigrants and /or refugees. These individuals also are deeply rooted in the grassroots communities ONE Lowell serves and understand the challenges, desires and dreams of the city's diverse population. Many of these individuals also bridge between the newcomer communities as well as the host communities and see the struggles and tensions on both sides. It is these perspectives and a profound belief that a more positive future is possible for our city that this innovation was made possible. Even the non-soccer fans amongst the group understood the symbolism behind a World Cup style soccer event.
However, it was the dedication and commitment of the executive director, and her vision of what the tournament could become, that enabled a good idea to become a reality. During the first year it was very important that the executive director's family was involved with the local soccer scene, and she was able to enlist them as volunteers. She was able to get her husband and one of the board members, also connected to soccer, to recruit the teams and referees, create the schedule and rules, and then oversee all aspects of the games during the event. (and if you want to know about the many nights, that first summer, that we woke up at 3:00am and couldn't sleep worried about getting enough teams or referees, just ask!)
Although the ED had never done a large event before, let alone a soccer tournament, she is extremely resourceful, has a lot of strong relationships in the community, and had an innate sense of what needed to happen. She did all of the sponsorship, marketing, logistics, permits, recruited vendors, brought in the volunteers, got insurance, etc. with some staff and a few volunteers - the amount of learning that occurred that first year was exhausting.
So exhausting, that many of the volunteers from the first year felt that the tournament was too much work for what was achieved. In addition, during the first year we had to deal with bad, competitive attitudes from players, that went against the whole purpose of the tournament. However, the ED understood that over time, the work would become less and the players would get the picture, so she pushed the group into doing the tournament again. She was also able to get grant funding for the second and third year, which allowed for hiring a tournament director to take over the work with the teams and referees (the husband felt that he had done his share!) The ED has also had to devote her summers, since 2007, to the tournament; last year she missed the family vacation.
Over the four years we have been able to increase our volunteers to help with all of the stages of planning, so that each year her workload is less, although her oversight continues.
The ED is a woman who not only has vision, but knows how to make a vision a reality.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Personal contact at Changemakers
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company
Alexis Ditkowsky @ Changemakers
 | 112 weeks agoCynthia Drayton said: Hi Felicia, Terrific work you are doing and it's in keeping with the UN Millenium Development Goals and using sport as a tool for ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 113 weeks agoFelicia Sullivan said: While the ONE Lowell World Cup seeks to bring our diverse immigrant communities together with the host community, I think the event can ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 113 weeks agoAlexis Ditkowsky said: Hi Felicia, I love how the One Lowell World Cup has been able to bring people together with a fun event while being financially viable. ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 114 weeks agoFelicia Sullivan updated this Competition Entry. |
| 114 weeks agoFelicia Sullivan submitted this idea. |
