DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Wolves are hosting the Oklahoma City Blue Friday at 7:00pm. But this game is a special one: the team is also hosting an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community Celebration.
"It's part of our Community Celebration series where we've worked with Principal, we create themed jerseys and then auction them off for various communities," said Chip Albright, vice president of marketing and business development for the Iowa Wolves.
The community celebrations are designed to recognize different marginalized communities in Des Moines.
The AAPI celebration will feature a performance by Soten Taiko, a local Japanese drumming group.
In addition, attendees of the game will see different videos interviewing prominent members of the AAPI community in Des Moines.
"The local rich history of our Asian population is fantastic here in Iowa, so it's really wonderful to shine a light on that," Albright said. "And give big shout outs to the community and just celebrate the diversity that exists here in the city of Des Moines."
One of Albright's favorite parts of the community celebrations is meeting new people and telling their stories.
"It's important to us," he said. "It's something that we want to continue to do."
Upcoming events in the community celebration series include a Black History Month Celebration on Feb. 9 and a Hispanic Heritage Celebration on Feb. 22.
For tickets to the AAPI Community Celebration game, click here.