Coincidently, these teams will have the opportunity after the tournament to travel to the southern region of Italy and will be hosted by the players and the entire Town of San Georgio Morgetto.

This international soccer program, which has been going for the past three years was developed by local Wasaga Beach residents Lou-Anne Pardon and Vyvyan Hardwick. Through thousands of hours of volunteering for our community, they have made this opportunity possible, for soccer players of ours and our neighbouring communities.

On August 12, Wasaga Beach Foodland will provide the team with breakfast before heading off to Saint Marie among the Hurons, a trip sponsored by Wasaga Riverdock Hotel Suites.

Later in the afternoon, the team will visit Nancy Island before attending a barbecue in their honour, hosted by Wasaga Beach resident Velma Gregoris.

The team leaves fro Woodbridge the next day.

On August 20, Wasaga Beach will be visited by various dignitaries from the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor Francis Melito, the Bishop of Calabria Italy and fellow dignitaries will visit the Martyr’s Shrine in Midland, and will return to Wasaga Beach to be the guest of honour at a dinner hosted by Pardon and members of the Italian community in Wasaga Beach.

A farewell dinner will be held in Woodbridge August 25 for the Bishop, dignitaries, and the soccer team before departing on August 26.

For many of these players on this team, this will have been an opportunity of a lifetime, and opportunity that arose from communities all across Ontario, and let us not forget, our small generous Town of Wasaga Beach.