Employees from Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America and Aventure Aviation will face off in Fayette County’s first cricket match Saturday, April 25, at Riley Field in Peachtree City.
Team Panasonic will square off with Team Aventure Aviation starting at 10 a.m. The match is free and the public is invited.
The idea for the match was born from a meeting hosted at the Fayette Chamber of Commerce in late 2014. Panasonic executives contacted the Fayette Chamber in fall of 2014 hoping to find ways to help employees and their families who recently moved here from South Asia assimilate and feel more connected to the community. Panasonic has approximately 300 employees from South Asia.
The Chamber reached out to several member businesses, including Aventure Aviation, and invited their employees of South Asian descent to gather together and share needs, challenges and commonalities. One idea from that gathering was to bring the much-beloved sport of cricket to the community and invite all local residents to attend the match.
“The ultimate intention of this cricket match is to have a ‘family fun day,’” said Zaheer Faruqi, President & CEO of Aventure Aviation. “We see this event as a way to bring these employees together and allow them to connect with one another other. At the same time, they can share their love of this sport with the rest of the Fayette community.”
“When the chamber helped this group gather together for the first time, it was immediately apparent that all have a heritage and culture important to each of us,” said chamber membership development manager Adalene Holley. “Traditions are supported with access to ethnic foods, sporting events, cultural and faith-based celebrations that make us feel at home, no matter where we live and work.”
Holley noted that while the April cricket match will mark a first connection point for these employees from India, this initiative will surely blossom into other areas and among other cultures that are active in Fayette County.
“Awareness and familiarity of other cultures is where understanding begins,” said Holley. “As we discover more about one another, we come together as a community. I love that this is a priority for Panasonic Automotive and appreciate Aventure’s leadership bringing it to fruition.”
For further information, match details and event registration, visit http://peachtreecitycricket.eventbrite.com.
