This September, the IRC had the privilege of inviting volunteers and clients to a Seattle Mariners baseball game at Safeco Field, with the Mariners playing the Los Angeles Angels. The majority of attendees came from our Family Mentor program, which matches newly arrived refugee families with a volunteer mentor. Over thirty mentors and refugee families, as well as participants from the IRC’s Pre-Employment Class enjoyed a night out at the ballgame. Refugees from Bhutan, Burma, Eritrea, and Ethiopia got a first taste of baseball and the American stadium experience. Mentors and IRC staff gave quick primers on the basic rules of the game, which nearly all of the refugees attending were unfamiliar with. Several Bhutanese clients likened the game to cricket. From standing for the national anthem, to watching dancing fans appear on the big screen, and cheering with the crowds, our new Mariners fans were smiling, laughing, and enjoying the warm September night. Unfortunately, the Mariners lost to the Angles 3 to 4, but that didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. The IRC looks forward to facilitating community involvement for newly arrived refugees through more trips to local sporting events in the future.
We are very grateful to the Seattle Mariners for providing these tickets to our clients and volunteers, free of charge. Ticket donations give refugee families the opportunity to experience new and exciting activities throughout Puget Sound that might otherwise be inaccessible to them. Participating in outings and events with theirs mentors is a great way for newly arrived refugees to get to know the Seattle area and what it has to offer. In the past, the IRC has also received the generous support of other local institutions such as the Tacoma Museum of Glass, the Space Needle, The Pacific Science Center, Woodland Park Zoo, and the Seattle Aquarium, which hosted a special field trip for our Newcomer School Readiness Program students at the end of their course. If you have suggestions for other local destinations for our clients, please let us know! We are always looking for new organizations to partner with in order to better serve the communities we work with.
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