KSHB 41 News reporter Braden Bates covers parts of Jackson County, Missouri, including Lee's Summit. Send Braden a story idea by e-mail.
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Over a dozen Rotarians from Argentina arrived in Kansas City for the FIFA World Cup as part of a friendship exchange program through the international organization.
Rotary families from KC metro clubs are opening their homes as part of this program.
The travelers were greeted by their host families at Kansas City International Airport, where the reunion was anything but a meeting of strangers, despite many coming face to face for the first time.
Ben Martin, one of the Kansas City Rotarians involved in the exchange program, said he hopes the visit leaves a lasting impression on the visitors.
"That they see how much we're excited about having people here from all over the world," Martin said.
Among the Argentine visitors are father and son Roberto and Augusto Diez Ormaechea, who spoke with KSHB 41 reporter Braden Bates on Zoom in mid May.
"It’s nice to spend time with my son, Ben and family," Roberto said during the Zoom call.
READ MORE | Kansas City-area Rotarians hosting Argentine Rotarians for the World Cup
For Martin, seeing them in person carried a deeper meaning.
"It's a dream come true, they are real," Martin said. "They're not just pictures on a screen. Now, here they are three dimensional."
Augusto described the trip as something special for him and his father.
"An adventure to us to come to this country and this food and enjoy the soccer match," Augusto said.
Over the next week, Rotarians from both Argentina and the Kansas City metro will explore various parts of the city together, starting with the food.
When asked if they were excited to try Kansas City barbecue, Roberto and Augusto answered in unison: "Yes, of course."
For Martin, moments like these are at the heart of what Rotary International is about.
"This is one of those great things about being part of an international organization. We get a chance to see people from all kinds of different walks of life, doing all kinds of different great, great things for people," Martin said.
The World Cup provided them the perfect excuse to connect.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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