Written by Peter Brown (BA '96, English, RPW)
On July 23, another blazing hot southern Ontario Saturday brought another chance for University of Waterloo alumni to meet up and reminisce at Alumni Relations’ annual Family Day in Toronto.
In recent years, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Rogers Centre had been the host and location for this event, which certainly provided edge-of-your-seat entertainment as the Jays competed for the AL East title.
This year's event moved down Lakeshore Blvd. to BMO Field, the relatively new home of the GTA's latest sports sensation, Toronto FC soccer.
With sellout crowds and a traditional fan approach usually seen in international football, Toronto FC has captivated soccer fans with their own local premier professional team.
With the help of the @uwaterlooalumni twitter feed, we made it into BMO Field and up to the East King Budweiser Patio, the centre of activity for the event.
What was not new this year was the outstanding collection of events, interactive activities, and swag laid out by Alumni staff, with a scrumptious spread of food.
Not to mention lots of familiar faces from our time at UWaterloo.
Along with receiving our Waterloo alumni t-shirts, we all had a chance to win some great prizes, from tickets to future FC games, a signed Toronto FC ball and jersey, a Pebble watch, and a VIP tour of BMO Field.
TFC celebs like midfielder Daniel Lovitz and former captain Steven Caldwell were on hand to autograph items for kids and adults alike.
The pregame festivities were just the appetizer for an amazing night of soccer. For those who have not been to this beautiful venue or experienced an FC home game, it is truly something to behold. Between the chants, drumbeats, and smoke, the south endzone fans keep everyone engaged.
Fueled by their fans and sparked by forward Sebastian Giovinco’s hat trick, Toronto swarmed DC United 4-1 in a game that was never in doubt. This was to be the start of a four-game home winning streak that saw Toronto outscore their opponents 12-2. With the four wins, Toronto has separated from the MLS Eastern Conference pack to move into second place behind New York City FC.
In other words, UWaterloo Alumni events – in addition to being a tonne of fun – are obviously a lucky rabbit’s foot for Toronto FC. Looking forward to sparking another winning streak next year! Thanks to Alumni Relations for another great event!
And looking forward to Reunion 2016 in October!