Getting 1,000 people from nine different towns together for an afternoon of fun sporting activities is no easy task, but it’s one the local Filipino association made look easy.
The Filipino Association of Westlock, Alberta, Canada (FAWAC) hosted its inaugural All-Filipino Sportsfest at the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre last Sunday afternoon.
Association president Randy Ayo said the tournament, which he hopes will be the first of many annual tournaments to come, is aimed at bringing the Filipino community closer together.
“Our theme for this year is to have one passion, one spirit and one vision,” he said.
The tournament itself included both basketball, with nine towns in the area represented by men’s teams, and volleyball, which had four women’s teams and five men’s teams.
Ayo said about 850 athletes registered to take part, and most brought along family and friends to help cheer them on.
The tournament is reminiscent of a similar event the association hosted last fall, which was basically the same thing on a smaller scale.
“That was a dry run we made in order to have the preparations for this main Sportsfest,” he said. “That previous event helped us prepare.”
FAWAC has taken a lead role in organizing this tournament, and has reached out to the Filipino communities in nearby towns such as Barrhead, Slave Lake and Whitecourt to take part.
“Filipinos love basketball, and this is one good way to communicate with them, especially now that we have this association,” Ayo said. “One of our main things is to be known, not just in our town but in others.”
While Westlock’s group is planning to host this event in the near future, Ayo said he hopes other similar groups will form in other communities and they may begin to take turns hosting tournaments and other events as well.
One of the big reasons this kind of a cultural event appeals so much to the Filipino community in particular is the sense of shared experience in leaving the Philippines to come to Canada.
“Seeing and meeting with Filipino people gives us a warm feeling in our lives,” he said. “It feels like we’re back in our country, in the Philippines.”
While there is some longing for home, Ayo said Alberta and Canada as a whole present tremendous opportunities for Filipinos and in particular Filipino families to come have a better life.
“The majority of Filipinos like to transfer here to make a better life,” he said. “The government is good to Filipinos, not just for jobs but in terms of living here.”
FAWAC is relatively new in the community, having just been formed last year, but already has hosted a few events for the Filipino community and is looking to host more.
On top of the annual tournament, Ayo said the association will host a Christmas party this year for Westlock and the surrounding areas, and there are also plans in the works for a town-wide cleanup event.
For more information about FAWAC, contact Ayo at 780-887-9902.
