Largest Ethiopian event outside Ethiopia runs July 2-8; Mayor Murray declares next week Ethiopians’ Week; more than 30,000 participants and spectators expected
SEATTLE (June 30, 2017) — Starting Sunday, July 2, Ethiopians from across the country will descend on Seattle for the opening ceremony of the 34th annual Ethiopian Sports Federation of North America (ESFNA) Soccer Tournament & Cultural Festival. The event is the largest gathering of Ethiopians outside of Ethiopia. It was last hosted in Seattle in 2004.
The week-long event and celebration occurs during the week of Ethiopian Day, which takes place Friday, July 7. The event culminates with the closing ceremony and tournament trophy presentation on Saturday, July 8. In May, Mayor Ed Murray declared July 2-8 Ethiopians’ Week in Seattle. As the event’s first-ever title sponsor, Uber Technologies Inc. helped bring the event to Seattle this year.
“This week-long soccer tournament will be a way for Ethiopians to come together in order to celebrate their culture, identity and assure the continuity of their ideals,” Murray noted in the proclamation. “The founding principles of ESFNA were born out of the desire for Ethiopians now and in the future to have something they claim as their own for generations to come.
This year’s soccer tournament has drawn 31 teams and more than 800 players from around the U.S. and Canada. Teams will face off against each other in an initial group stage and then in a knockout stage similar to the World Cup. The cultural festival portion of the event will include, food, dancing and live music on Ethiopia Day, July 7. ESFNA is also hosting a golf tournament at Maplewood Golf Course on July 7.
Both daily tickets and weekly passes are available for purchase at https://esfna.org/seattle-2017.
What: Soccer tournament and cultural festival; biggest gathering of Ethiopians outside Ethiopia
When: July 2-8
Where: Renton Memorial Stadium, 405 Logan Ave. N., Renton, WA 98057
More info and tickets: https://esfna.org
Event details:
- Opening ceremony: Sunday, July 2, 7:30 p.m., Renton Memorial Stadium
- Daily Tournament Play: Sunday, July 2 – Saturday, July 8
- Girls soccer tournament: Wednesday, July 5, 6 p.m., Renton Memorial Stadium
- Ethiopia Day Celebration: Friday, July 7, 6 p.m., Renton Memorial Stadium
- Golf Tournament: Friday, July 7, 8:45 a.m., Maplewood Golf Course, Renton
- East vs. West All-Star Friendly: Saturday, July 8, 3 p.m., Renton Memorial Stadium
- Closing Awards Ceremony: Saturday, July 8, 6 p.m., Renton Memorial Stadium
Contacts
Daniel Kore
ESFNA Board Member and Vice President of Seattle Dashen FC Team dkore@revelconsulting.com
206-853-2508
Samson Mulugeta
ESFNA PR contact
310-384-4283
Nathan Hambley
Uber Spokesperson
206-992-1790
About ESFNA
The Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America (ESFNA) is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded in 1984 to promote amateur soccer and cultural events within the Ethiopian community in North America.
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