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The Brief

• World Relief Tri-Cities hosted an eight-team, 7-on-7 soccer tournament Saturday at Gesa Stadium Soccer Fields in Pasco, one week before World Refugee Day.

• The Christian non-profit organization helps refugees establish new lives in the United States and organized the event to build community among its clients.

• Refugees from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Mexico and other countries participated alongside local church groups and club teams.

PASCO, Wash. — A local non-profit organization brought together refugees, church groups and community members Saturday for a soccer tournament designed to foster connection and celebrate the stories of people who have resettled in the Tri-Cities area.

World Relief Tri-Cities hosted the event at the Gesa Stadium Soccer Fields in Pasco, where eight teams competed in 7-on-7 matches throughout the day. The tournament took place one week before World Refugee Day, an annual observance recognized each June 20.

World Relief is a Christian non-profit organization that assists refugees as they establish new lives after arriving in the United States. The Tri-Cities chapter serves clients from a range of countries, including Nicaragua, Venezuela and Mexico.

Steve Vollmer, director of World Relief Tri-Cities, said many of the organization’s clients are experiencing heightened anxiety about their status in the country, even as they remain in the U.S. legally.

“A lot of things going on in the world that have a lot of our clients very nervous,” Vollmer said. “They were invited by our government to be in our country, and now they’re kind of scared to be here. They’re legal, everything is legal, but they still are concerned about what’s going to happen. We’re trying to help create a little bit more sense of community and family with events like this.”

Teams were made up of World Relief clients as well as local church groups and club teams, bringing together a broad cross-section of the Tri-Cities community on the soccer field.

​COPYRIGHT 2026 BY APPLE VALLEY NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.