[acx_slideshow name=”Pop Up Park World Cup 2014″]
Sunday evening over 500 U.S. soccer fans gathered at the Pop-Up Park to watch the US vs Portugal World Cup match.
It was New Canaan at its best.
Seniors, parents, and lots of young budding soccer stars cheered on the United States. The weekend World Cup event was truly a collaborative effort. Many town groups stepped up to help out and as result six World Cup games were shown under a tent during the day and on Saturday evening “Air Bud” was shown to the younger kids in town.
The event would not have been possible without a grant from the Local First Fund of the New Canaan Community Foundation that allocated funds in order to purchase a large screen TV and stand. Thanks are also due the New Canaan Soccer Association who funded a big part of the event and helped spread the word. Kudos to Tucker Murphy, the Chamber of Commerce and volunteer Jeff Holland for setting up and breaking down the Pop Up Park each weekend which gave us a venue for which to watch the games.
First Selectman Rob Mallozzi’s office supplied the tent for the weekend. Barbara Cleary’s Realty Guild graciously allowed us to tap into their cable connection and served popcorn to the fans. ESPN through efforts of resident Sean Bratches allowed us to show the games.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church lent chairs for the weekend. The Highway Department transported equipment and quickly cleaned the park by 7am Monday morning. Chris Kaiser of New Canaan IT department tested equipment and New Canaan High School graduate Lindsay Hannon hooked up the audio equipment and kept it running smoothly all weekend.
It is because of efforts of groups like these we live in “The Next Station to Heaven.”
World Cup Committee:
Tucker Murphy—Chamber of Commerce
Matt Miller—New Canaan Soccer Association
Sally Campbell—Parks and Recreation
A community is only as good as its volunteers and this is a great example of many many volunteers coming forward to bring the town together. Thanks for sharing, Michael (NewCanaanite).
Many thanks to everyone for both the vision and the successful execution of the Pop Up Park! It takes so much work for Tucker Murphy and Jeff Holland to set up and take down this area every weekend. It would be great to designate the Pop Up Park as a permanent town square. If you agree, please “Like” the page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Canaan-Pop-Up-Park/179019412232695) and consider asking our selectmen and Town Council to make this a permanent fixture.