KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland, including Liberty. During our "Let's Talk" event in Parkville, neighbors shared with her that they hoped to make the town a hub for international soccer fans visiting the area this summer. Now we're amplifying their voices and plans. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.
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Parkville is gearing up to become an international destination this summer as the Dutch national team sets up its World Cup base camp at the KC Current training facility.
The Parkville downtown area is just a six-minute drive from the Current training facility.
From behind the counter at The Alley Bar, Chris Wallingford is ready to welcome guests with cold beers and conversations about the talk of the town — the World Cup.
They’re hoping for a summer packed with international customers.
"The whole place is going to be orange,” Wallingford said. "Our hope is that when Netherlands fans come in, they feel like it’s a bar somewhere in the Netherlands — and that they feel at home here."
Daniel Oordt, an icon among Dutch fans, has been working with the Parkville bar to bring the team's energy to town.
"I love to see that even the smaller towns are reaching out," Oordt said. "If there’s one team that shows up and travels for their team, it’s the Dutch. You’ve got a good one here. Kansas City is going to see something they’ve never seen before."
Bob Bennett, who represents Ward 2 on the Parkville Board of Aldermen, is one of the residents behind the idea of connecting local businesses with fans and national teams.
"I’m absolutely thrilled,” he said.
"We all learned, I think, from our own NFL Draft experience, where we didn’t take advantage as much as we could,” Bennett said.
According to Bennett, they decided to be proactive with opportunities during the World Cup.
"If we don’t reach out to them, make them know they’re welcome, they won’t necessarily pick us up on the map," Bennett said. "We’ve got to try harder."
As an arm of the Parkville American Legion, all money raised there goes to veterans and community charities.
"It’s an exchange of cultures, and it’s an exchange of ideas, and it’s an exchange of what could be,” Bennett said.
Doing good here and putting the city in the spotlight out there.
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