Inaugural soccer tournament to support Interfaith Food Bank

By Lethbridge Herald on April 26, 2024.

Herald photo by JUSTIN SEWARD Catholic CentralÕs Hunter Bain attempts to run past Tyler Munnings for an attempted shot during practice on Friday. The schoolÕs soccer team is spearheading a tournament in support of the Interfaith Food Bank next month. .

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

Catholic Central High School has spearheaded a new collaboration with high schools in both city school districts through soccer in support of the Lethbridge Interfaith Foodbank next month.

The collaboration between  soccer teams from CCHS, Chinook, Winston Churchill, Immanuel Christian Secondary School and École la Vérendrye School will allow for the hosting of a soccer tournament on May 31-June 1 at CCH West and collect food in support of the Interfaith Food Bank.

“We’re super excited to announce that we’re also doing this with the collaboration of the Interfaith Food Bank,” said Mallory Kristjanson, CCHS staff coach, during an official announcement on Friday.

“Our students at Catholic Central High School take great pride to ensure that our community is supported in any way possible, whether it’s volunteering or giving back. This year we chose to give back to the Interfaith Food Bank.”

Tournament attendees and participant  will be asked to bring a non-perishable food item.

“This is a massive opportunity for our soccer community in Lethbridge,” said Kristjanson.

“I don’t know if we’ve ever had so many high schools coming together for the love of soccer.”

The tournament schedule will be announced on CCH’s Instagram page closer to the tournament.

“Our youth are our future,” said Kristjanson.

“They are [the] next generation. We have so many incredible youth that are coming out. We want our community to come out and support our youth by coming and cheering them on.”

CCH’s Tyler Munnings said this is a wonderful thing we’re doing for many reasons.

“Most importantly, the passion in this sport is huge,” said Munnings.

“It always has been and it’s growing more and more each season. I think the opportunity to have every kid play regardless of where they come from, their financial income, those sorts of things … I think it’s huge. I think throughout Lethbridge it’s going to keep growing and I think this is the first of many and I’m excited.”

There will be eight teams participating in the tournament.

Aside from the soccer tournament, the hope is to start up a new high school soccer league.

“It has been a long time since we’ve ran anything like this,” said Kristjanson.

“So CCH is very excited to spearhead this opportunity and the Holy Spirit is very grateful to stand behind us as  coaches and as players to get this initiative going and we hope that  we can start a league because soccer is such an incredible, inclusive sport.”