Sophomores promote religious tolerance with soccer

Today, three UNC sophomores will be less than 50 miles from Morehead City, N.C., and to setting a world record.

Ahmad Saad, Sasha Seymore and Dylan Simel, founders of Kicking Across Carolina, are dribbling soccer balls more than 400 miles across the state to promote religious tolerance.

Seymore and Simel are from New Bern, where the group will be staying today with family and friends.

“We’re actually staying in New Bern for two nights, and the first night we’ll be talking at a church and my local synagogue,” Simel said.

The group has already traveled more than 350 miles over the past three weeks. They will reach their destination, Morehead City, on Saturday.

“Just keep kicking; I guess that would be our official motto,” Simel said.

Kicking Across Carolina views soccer as a force that can be used to unite people with different religious beliefs. Saad, Seymore and Simel practice Islam, Christianity and Judaism, respectively.

The organization now supports three nonprofit charities: Soccer for Peace, the Maccabim Association and the Peres Center for Peace. All three groups use soccer to help children in war-torn countries.

Simel said the group has sold about 80 shirts and raised more than $1,000.

Planning the logistics of the trip and finding sponsors took most of the semester, but Simel said the cause is worth it.

“We’ve been speaking with people about the unifying power of soccer, regardless of their religious or cultural background,” Simel said.

Seymore said the group has spoken at churches in Elon and Nebo, N.C.

The group originally planned to dribble across the U.S., but decided their trip across the state was more realistic.

“We’ve talked about organizing a Kicking Across America next summer where participants could dribble across their community,” Simel said.

The trio passed through Chapel Hill last week to dribble with friends and stop for a quick lunch at Cosmic Cantina.

“We’re definitely starting a campus organization next year to get people involved,” Simel said.

The group will be in three different continents after the trip ends. Simel will be working as a counselor at Camp Seagull, Saad will be working on a political campaign in Egypt and Seymore will be teaching underprivileged children in Brazil how to play soccer and basketball.

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