ONE Northside Hosts Indoor Light in the Night Soccer Tournament
Nearly 90 people, united by their love for soccer and community, gathered for an indoor soccer tournament hosted by ONE Northside at Chase Park in Ravenswood. The event was a part of Light in the Night, a Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) program aimed at reclaiming public spaces.
The tournament featured ten teams, friends, family and volunteers.
ONE Northside is one of 13 Chicago organizations representing CP4P, a coalition of non-profit organizations focused on gun violence prevention across 27 Chicago neighborhoods.
The event was one of four events created by ONE Northside Outreach Worker, and soon-to-be Metropolitan Peace Academy graduate, Ronaldo Cabrerra. Cabrerra, filled with joy as he refereed and watched participants play with excitement, expressed why putting this event on was important.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to pursue soccer like I wanted to,” said Cabrerra. “Now I want to give the opportunity to others.”
ONE Northside CP4P Program Manager Darrell Dacres praised the soccer tournament, as well as the work ONE Northside has done in gun violence prevention over the last 10 years.
“I came from one end of the totem pole to the other,” said Dacres. “To see my staff work hard and kill it is encouraging. We won’t stop the work.”
All participants received a goody bag with items from ONE Northside and the Illinois Peace Project, including a water bottle, shirt, lanyard and pin.
To see more upcoming Light in the Night events taking place across the Chicagoland area, check the calendar here.