David Hunter announces Summer Blessed Culture Sports Festival

Representatives of different districts proudly waved their flags during the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Blessed Culture Sports Festival (BCSF).

The eighth annual Blessed Culture and Sports Fest (BCSF) is one of the most anticipated events by Unificationist communities nationwide, and organizers aspire to make this year’s BCSF the most memorable yet. BCSF is scheduled to begin at the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) in Barrytown, New York on Wednesday, July 31, and culminate on Sunday, August 4.

The organizers of BCSF have chosen “Game On” as this year’s theme.

The first year of BCSF started as a small project based primarily on sports, as indicated by the festival’s former name of “Blessed Children Sports Festival,” according to Jin Kwon Kim, the former director of BCSF. What began as a humble, single-day gathering of around 125 young Unificationists to play sports has steadily grown by 30 percent every year for the past eight years, with more than 500 people gathered at last year’s five-day festival. Kim explained the vision of BCSF this way: “We originally envisioned BCSF to start out with a social component, where there could be a community connection, and a cultural component, where there could be a place that supports spirituality and one’s desire to express his or herself through sports and culture and use that as a way to offer something. Now, BCSF has an added third component through its connection of gathering people at one location at a national level.”

Regions from across the United States designed unique t-shirts and flags to differentiate the teams and instill pride.

For this year’s BCSF, David Hunter, the current director and National Youth Pastor, said that the events the organizers will prepare during the five-day event. “There will be sports tournaments which last the duration of the entire event, Wednesday, July 31st through Sunday, August 4. The sports that are included in the tournaments are the following: 1) Ultimate Frisbee (Men’s and Women’s); 2) Soccer; 3) Basketball; 4) Volleyball (co-ed); 5) Tennis; 6) A 5K Run. We also have one intramural, non-tournament sport this year: Flag Football. On the cultural side, throughout the day from Thursday through Saturday, we will host a variety of cultural workshops. We will also host a Ballroom Dance Social and a Ballroom Dance Competition, the CARP [Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles] Games, a Poker Tournament, an event called ‘The Show,’” which includes a fashion show and networking evening, an Open Mic night, and several other events. We will also feature an opening and closing ceremony to deliver a spiritual message and to highlight the several regions that come to BCSF”

The spectators watched in awe as a member of the New Jersey Ultimate Frisbee deftly completed a catch.

Although the crowd at BCSF is primarily Unificationist, non-Unificationists have always been welcome to participate. “Several teams in different sports have already been bringing their friends for the past several years,” Kim said.

To bring more attention to the upcoming annual event, BCSF is also collecting regional promotional videos. Two regional “promo” videos, made with iPhones, from New York and Minnesota are currently on the BCSF Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/BCSFUSA. Submissions for more regional videos are being accepted and interested individuals should contact David Hunter for guidelines about creating a promo video. Registration for BCSF includes all four full days of BCSF and should be used by those arriving on either July 31 or August 1. Registration deadlines are as follows:

 $50, if registering between May 1 and June 30

 $75, if registering between July 1 and July 21

 $90, if registering between July 22 and July 28 or at the door

 Online registration closes at 11:59 PM on July 28 and re-opens at the door

The New York Team (wearing blue) played hard against the Canadian Team, the first international team to attend BCSF, during the soccer tournament at the 2012 BCSF.

The New Jersey Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team took first place at the 2012 BCSF.

Part-time registration should be considered by individuals who plan to register for three days or less. Registration deadlines are as follows:

 $20 per day, if registering between May 1 and July 21

 $25 per day, if registering between July 22 and July 28 or at the door

 Online registration closes at 11:59 PM on July 28 and re-opens at the door

Andrew Love (right) served as the emcee of the first ever CARP Games at the 2012 BCSF and unveiled the prize of Cup Noodles. The CARP Games will continue at this year’s BCSF.

Housing is available in the UTS dormitories and is on a first-come-first-serve for $15 per night or $15 total per person to camp on the UTS grounds. BCSF does not provide meal plans. There are three options for meals. First, individuals may bring their own food. Second, buy a separate meal plan from the UTS kitchen staff, which is not part of BCSF registration. Third, individuals can purchase meals from food vendors or local restaurants.

Thirty trophies were given out at the 2012 BCSF Closing Ceremony.

BCSF also requires a certain minimum age for individuals to participate in the events. According to the BCSF website,www.bcsfusa.com, participants must be 16-years or older to play a sport at BCSF (An individual must be born on or before December 31, 1997.) If a participant is under the age 18, the participant must have a parent or identified guardian present with the participant at BCSF. Guardians

must be 25-years-old or more and must be registered as an attendee of BCSF. Guardians may have no more than 10 minors under their care at BCSF. All attendees 12-years-old or older must register and pay. If a participant is under 18-years-old, the participant must have a parent or legal guardian present while a participant registers to sign and who will verify BCSF’s legal waiver of responsibility.

Jaronce Dutil, (front) waving the Canadian flag, and other representatives, ran down the aisle during the 2012 BCSF Closing Ceremony.

In order to register and for further information please visitwww.bcsfusa.com and the Facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/BCSFUSA.