Adelaide United will join forces with Welcome to Australia to support Harmony Day through the Hyundai A-League’s annual Harmony Round over this weekend’s Round 24 of the 2017/18 season.
Harmony Day on 21 March is a celebration of Australia’s cultural diversity and the key message for Harmony Round this year is that Everyone Belongs.
Harmony Round is an opportunity to appreciate football’s diversity and how the global nature of our game connects with cultures within the community.
Welcome to Australia is an organisation which is dedicated to welcoming Australia’s new arrivals, no matter where they came from or how they arrive here.
Welcome to Australia Chief Executive Officer, Mohammad Al-Khafaji, was thrilled to work with Adelaide United to use football as a vehicle to promote social harmony.
“This partnership is really exciting for us at Welcome to Australia because it’s really innovative in terms of activation,” he said.
“We have a lot of newly arrived refugees from Syria and Iraq and obviously football is the world game and this is the one game they’re all passionate about.
Thanks @AdelaideUnited for welcoming these refugee kids to your club.
Preparing for the Harmony Round on Friday night.#UnitedInWelcome #HarmonyDay pic.twitter.com/5lCzuTrYew
— Welcoming Australia (@welcomingaus) March 20, 2018
‘They’re really excited to be part of a sport that is such a universal voice for unity.
“And the special thing about partnering with Adelaide United is that these guys get to actually experience the mainstream sport and be amongst every day Australians and be part of the community.”
Adelaide United will integrate Welcome to Australia on Friday night against the Newcastle Jets in player mascots, a guard of honour, presenting the match ball, and performing the coin toss.
Tarek Elrich and Daniel Adlung have been chosen as the Reds’ Welcome to Australia Harmony Day Ambassadors for the round.
“Coming from a Lebanese family and having celebrated Harmony Day at school when I was younger, I understand and really appreciate the importance of inclusion,” Elrich said.
“I’m a firm believer of people being proud of where they’re from and Harmony Day is a fantastic way to encourage this.”
Meanwhile, Adlung added: “Since coming to Australia this season, I can really see why this country is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world.
“The people in Adelaide have been very welcoming to me and my family and I have felt at home here from the very first day.”
Adelaide United host Newcastle Jets in Round 24 of the Hyundai A-League 2017/18 season on Friday, 23 March at Coopers Stadium. Kick-off is at 7.20pm ACDT. Junior (6-14 years old) tickets are just $10 online or at the gate.
