Besides doing mission work around the world and preaching here in the Wood River Valley, Tito Rivera of Ministerio Vida Abundante loves sports. One of his ways of bringing the Latino community together is by holding the annual Festival de Futbol, or as gringos know it, soccer.
The fourth annual Festival de Futbol is noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at Founder's Field in Hailey. Everyone is invited, and a full meal is provided, free.
"We are expecting 13 or more teams," Rivera said. "Romanian and French from the Sun Valley Company; Dominicans from Twin Falls, Brazilian, Mexican, Salvador, Peru, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Russian and Slovakia and U.S. Teams from Burley, Jerome, Carey. Most of the people from these different nations like this type of sport. By me doing this festival for the whole community, I make them feel like home. This is about family."
A happy man of incomparable energy, Rivera loves to bring people together no matter who they are, where they come from or what their beliefs are. But the festival has no religious overtones, he said.
"In the school they're separate. They mix on this day. I make them," he said. "My goal is one nation under God. That's what I believe."
He and his wife Dartha are providing the food, and his fellow parishioners at the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood are helping.
"The gringos will serve the Latinos," he said, laughing.
Besides food, they have large flags for each nationality represented, trophies, matching authentic soccer jerseys for the winning team and family prizes. Kids will also have a go at one piñata an hour.
"And those kids are waiting," he said. "We have so much stuff for them.
"There will be so many Hispanic and Latin Americans that the community is opening the doors for other things," Rivera said.
Among the organizations that are participating are St. Luke's Center for Community Health, South Central District Health, YAK!, YMCA, Sun Valley Adaptive Sports and the Environmental Resource Center.
"It's a great thing to do," Rivera said. "Anybody is welcome to set up a booth. We are all one family under God."
Tito Rivera Photo by Willy Cook
