The Words of the Tardy Family
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The Words of the Tardy Family |
The annual Blessed Culture and Sports Fest (BCSF) took place August 14th to 16th, beginning on the open playing field of Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Clifton, NJ and finishing in the Grand Ballroom of the Manhattan Center in New York City.
There were over 500 people in attendance from across the country who participated either as competitors or as spectators of the cultural and sporting events with activities such as poker tournaments and dance showcases which had never been offered before at this annual occasion.
The first BCSF started on the same playing field in New Jersey in August 2004 as a one day event with less than half the amount of people in attendance. This year, with participants coming from as far away as California, Texas, Ohio and Hawaii, the BCSF’s development and expansion could be clearly seen and acknowledged.
BCSF founder and director Jin Kwon Kim started this yearly tradition to, “create a place for communities to become one extended family through sports and culture, and to see that God can be involved in every part of our lives.” This year it was intended to show that the Sports Fest can be shared with God by feeling strength in our passions and by simply lovin’ life.”
It seemed participants were “Lovin’ life” as Kim and his team had designed BCSF so that participants could choose activities that interested them. On Friday, opening day, there were inter-state team competitions in soccer, volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee and basketball. On Friday evening, the participants were invited to the Lovin' Life Ministries Open Mic at the Lovin' Life Learning Center at 4 West 43rd Street. With hundreds in attendance and over 30 performances in music, dance, and comedy, the Learning Center with filled with energy and talent.
On Saturday afternoon, the Women's Division Frisbee Tournament and Ping-Pong Tournament were held for the first time. This was followed by a T-shirt contest which involved a catwalk to showcase each t-shirt. That evening, a Poker Tournament, another first, was held with over 50 players vying for a combined $1000 prize. This was in conjunction with an XBox and Wii open tournaments along with a dance lounge provided for everyone.
On Sunday, August 16, all participants attended the Lovin' Life Ministries Service, and were invited by Rev. In Jin Moon for lunch followed by a one hour music entertainment showcase prepared just for them by the Lovin' Life Ministries Band.
To close off the BCSF 2009, the anticipated awards ceremony was held with a trophy presented to each competition’s first, second, and third place winners by Rev. Moon, who expressed in sermon that morning the importance of team work.
Written by Celine Tardy