Redmond announces World Cup outreach, $500–$6,000 grants for community watch parties
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Summary
City of Redmond World Cup planning manager Chris Raftis outlined a series of community events and announced grants of $500 to $6,000 to support public World Cup watch parties; applications are open through Jan. 15.
Chris Raftis, the City of Redmond’s World Cup planning program manager, said the city will run events and offer community grants as it prepares to host regional World Cup activity next year.
Raftis said the city’s initiative — branded in the announcement as “Redmond is ready for the world” — aims to showcase Redmond as a gateway to regional World Cup events and to “foster community pride by engaging with our residents and collaborating with our local business community.”
City officials are promoting three program strands: a Football for All Speaker Series, a Community Soccer Stories program and a Draw Watch Party slated for December. Raftis highlighted an introductory forum, Soccer 101, scheduled for Oct. 27 and led by James Riley, described in the announcement as a Seattle Sounders legend, the founder of JR7 Soccer and an official Seattle World Cup ambassador.
The city said it will offer grants to support community-driven World Cup watch parties in public spaces across Redmond, with awards ranging from $500 to $6,000. Applications will be accepted through Jan. 15, Raftis said. The announcement directed listeners to the city website for updates and application details.
Raftis closed the segment by noting where residents can find more information and follow program updates on the city website.