UW- Eau Claire’s German Club sponsored a soccer game Monday night to celebrate and raise awareness for the annual United Nations’ International Day of Peace.

According to the official Web site, the International Day of Peace “provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date.” It was established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly and has been celebrated on Sept. 21 since 2002.

Jason Gerstenkorn, president of the German club, said he saw videos on the official Peace Day Web site of people playing soccer to honor the day and thought it was something the club could organize to bring a sense of unity to campus.

Freshman Joshua Zemarzly, a member of the German Club, agreed with Gerstenkorn.

“I think soccer is a universal sport,” he said.

Over 20 students participated in the event in Tower’s Field, playing soccer and eating popsicles from 6 to7 p.m. The group played in teams of five and did not keep score.

Most of the students were German Club members, though members of the French Club, as well as students not affiliated with either club, attended the event.

German Club’s vice president Missy Dettwiler called the event a success and hoped that it would become an annual event.

French Club secretary Caryn Drewiske liked the event and said it was fun doing things with other clubs on campus and hoped the French and German Clubs could do more things together in the future.