Being One Family: BCSF 2022
Photos courtesy of BCSF
“This year’s BCSF was special because it was the first one after two years of being online,” said Denthew Learey, director of the 2022 Blessed Culture and Sports Festival (BCSF). “This social-ness is what made it special, where people from all walks of life ... got to spend quality time together playing games, catching up, and competing in sports. This really brought back the feeling of us as a larger community being one family, being brothers and sisters.”
Since transitioning online during the Covid-19 pandemic, BCSF returned in person for its 18th year better than ever. Some 400 participants from across North America came out to the Aug. 10-14 event at the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) in Barrytown, New York.
“People clamored for the opportunity to come back in person and get to once again meet and talk throughout UTS,” said Learey, who led an entirely new staff this year. “We had an extra 50 or so people that came during the weekend, and more than 40 participants from [Nevada and California], as well as 20 people from Canada.”
The five-day festival also catered to families, Learey said, with about 20 young families and 30 kids participating in the Family Day Children’s Olympics. The jam-packed program had all the hallmarks of BCSF, including volleyball, ultimate frisbee, soccer, basketball and intramural sports, as well as a fashion show, talent show, and a revival night.
“The quaint cafe [we set up], the vibe of the performance stage, and the whole feeling of Sports Fest showed this is an event for family,” said Learey. “We are all here as one family, no matter where we are from.”
“BCSF is a space to truly celebrate and acknowledge the talents and skills each individual has to offer,” said one participant. “For me, the HJ Stars talent show and all the evening events were the cherry on top. But the real insight I gained was on the sports fields, where I finally realized that I can play and give 100 percent without being worried about what people think, and I’m so grateful for that.”
Apart from the incredible turnout, players came ready to compete with very strong knowledge of their sports. “The teams really have athleticism,” said Nathan, one of BCSF’s live stream sports commentators. “They can play, they’ve got the moves and the jumps, and that’s key for them.”
“We saw pretty crazy games,” added Keanu, another commentator. “It was pretty intense. I saw players on both sides looking pretty nervous and scared to start the game as they warmed up and were ready to go, but what it comes down to is pure skill.”
BCSF was also able to raise $25,000 from generous donors for future activities. “The organizations and businesses that donated wish to stay anonymous,” said Learey, “but their support has really helped a lot.”
“BCSF was received quite well,” he continued. “Everyone I have talked to has told me how nice and memorable this experience was — people really found their stride in recognizing and being there with each other and celebrating the culture that BCSF creates.”
You can enjoy more photos and videos of BCSF 2022 here.