To build excitement for the FIFA World Cup and the nine matches to be hosted in Arlington this summer, North Lake Campus hosted FIFA Fan Fest, an indoor soccer game, fundraiser and opportunity for students to come together before the end of the semester.
“Dallas will be host to many of the games so North Lake decided to kind of start initiating some events in lieu of that,” said Cristian Henriquez, vice president of leadership for PTK’s North Lake chapter. “Soccer is a global sport. The whole world plays it.”
While the soccer games were going on, there was also a fundraiser for the Los Barrios Unidos Community Clinic (LBU) in Dallas to raise money for dental treatment. The event was organized by Sameen Ahmed, vice president of service for PTK.
“We are going to donate anything we raise here to them. That will help a lot of uninsured patients who can’t afford dental treatment,” said Subah Ahmed.
While financial donations were accepted at Fan Fest, PTK is also accepting in-kind donations of mouthwash, lip balm, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Items can be dropped off at the Student Life Office or Information Central through the end of the semester.
At the event, students joined in with the North Lake women’s soccer team for rounds of indoor play.
“We just thought it was going to be a really fun thing for the community and just to play against other people,” said Danielle Hernandez, North Lake soccer player.
The soccer games were moderated by North Lake women’s head soccer coach, Adrian Gonzalez.
“We’re getting all the students to get involved, to do a little tournament, just to enjoy the environment of soccer,” said Gonzalez. “We had different organizations came out to support and offer different activities.”
The event was held on the basketball court and was hosted by North Lake Athletics.
“It’s fun just to see all the students get involved in these types of things,” said Gonzalez. “Not just that, we appreciate all the organizations that came out to do all the set up all these tables, the food, all the people that are involved to make this possible.”
Along with playing soccer, students could also participate in jersey painting, esports competitions and enjoy a free lunch.
“I really hope we can keep more sportsy events like this. It’s good for health, good for communication. There are no barriers here. There shouldn’t be barriers. Just come together, pass a ball around,” said Henriquez. “Maybe this can lead to some basketball games, baseball games for students and athletes together.”
The event brought North Lake students together, regardless of background or athletic status, through the shared love of soccer.
“We love to play soccer and we wanted to share what brings us happiness to the campus,” said Alyssa Castillo, a member of the North Lake Campus women’s soccer team. “It’s just a way to express myself and bond over teammates and everything. I’ve just grown up with it and it’s just something that’s always stuck and I can’t see life without it.”
