Community

PHOTO ESSAY: Cham Community Gathers for Annual Night Market and Soccer Tournament

Editor

by Ronnie Estoque

Cham Refugees Community (CRC) gathered for its annual Night Market and Soccer Tournament this past Friday, July 23, and Saturday, July 24. The Night Market was held on the CRC's property on 39th Avenue South, which is currently in the process of securing necessary funds to begin development of a new community center space. Local businesses, such as Champa Brand and Rayyan's Kuih, were amongst the many vendors during the event that sold clothing and food. King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay made an appearance at the event on Saturday.

The Soccer Tournament was played on the turf of Brighton Playfield, which opened in June of 2020. The games drew large crowds of fans rooting for various local teams, such as Cham South West and Cham Tacoma. The playing conditions were perfect on Saturday with wind and rain being absent from the field. The sun shone brightly as cheers from fans filled up the area.

Those interested in donating towards the development of a new CRC community center can contact Cham Community Center project coordinator Slayman Appadolo via email at slayman@crcseattle.org. The CRC is also accepting donations via PayPal (CCC@crcseattle.org).

Cham Refugees Community's Annual Night Market had a strong attendance and featured local vendors and community members. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)
A sign alongside the Cham Refugees Community (CRC) building. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)
Rayyan's Kuih was a popular choice for event attendees during the night market. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)
Event attendees wait in line for an order of food from Rayyan's Kuih. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)
A vendor's sign for mango shakes at the CRC Night Market. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)
A vendor sells Ch Thi and Sam Bo Luong, which were both sweet desert options for event attendees. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)
Many event attendees visited vendors that sold locally made clothing. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)
Cham Refugees Community is currently in the process of developing a new community center as outlined. Those interesting in donating can email slayman@crcseattle.org. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)
A Cham Bam! player shoots their penalty kick as Champa United FC players form a wall. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)
The Cham Bam! goalie celebrates a team score. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)
Cham Seattle Soccer 2021 Tournament Championship trophy. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)
Cham South West takes a team photo before their game. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)
A player from Cham South West and Cham Tacoma battle for possession of the ball. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)
Cham South West celebrates a goal. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)

Ronnie Estoque is a South Seattle-based freelance photographer and videographer. You can keep up with his work by checking out his website.

📸 Featured Image: A vendor shows various bracelets to a prospective customer. (Photo: Ronnie Estoque)

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