FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WINNIPEG, Jan. 3, 2024 – The Winnipeg Jets will host the second annual Filipino Heritage Night on Saturday, Jan. 13 when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers at 6 p.m. The game celebrates Winnipeg’s vibrant Filipino community, which is Canada's third-largest, by showcasing Filipino culture, cuisine and community collaborations.
The evening’s entertainment will feature music influenced by Filipino culture, as well as intermission performances from dance group Magdaragat Philippines, and the musical Ma-Buhay!, co-created by Joseph Sevillo and Rainbow Stage, featuring lively pop/hip-hop music and choreography with lyrics in both English and Tagalog. Members of Ma-Buhay! will also sing the national anthems.
Game presentation will again feature digital media elements created by students of Sisler High School’s CREATE program, an entertainment arts training program.
Jets gameday hosts will be joined by local radio personalities Donna Natividad-Arenas and Tyler Magnaye, who will bring Tagalog to the in-game presentation.
Filipino food favourites will be featured at concessions throughout Canada Life Centre includingpork and vegetable lumpia rolls, a Filipino Jet Dog topped with sweet and sour shrimp, chicken adobo skewers, a sesame soy chicken rice bowl, and turon – a caramelized banana dessert spring roll.
The ceremonial puck drop will feature Winnipeggers Hanna Pagdato, Larissa Pagdato, and Jordy Wyant who recently represented the Philippines, winning Bronze at the Union women’s ice hockey tournament in the United Arab Emirates; and Gil Buenaventura, Executive Director of Magdaragat Philippines.
During intermission, individuals enrolled in the Apna/Jets Bauer First Shift program will participate in a friendly scrimmage. As part of True North’s efforts to grow the game at a grassroots level, a collaboration with Apna Hockey launched the inaugural Apna/Jets Bauer First Shift program. The six-week introduction to hockey has provided an opportunity for more than 120 kids, many of Filipino Heritage, to be outfitted with full hockey equipment and learn from Apna Hockey instructors. Many of these new skaters will continue on with the program’s “Second Shift” in April 2024. More information is available at hockeyforallcentre.com.
Six limited edition team-issued autographed Winnipeg Jets Filipino Heritage jerseys – featuring the Jets Filipino Heritage logo designed by graphic designer Jonato Dalayoan and True North’sCreative Lead, Marc Gomez – will be available for silent auction at the game in support ofvarious Filipino organizations.
Additional Filipino Heritage jerseys will be available through an online auction at auctions.nhl.com/WinnipegJets from Thursday, Feb. 1 to Sunday, Feb. 11.
An expanded line of Filipino Heritage clothing and merchandise will be available at Jets Gear and online at TrueNorthShop.com leading up to the Filipino Heritage Night game.
Media can download Filipino Heritage assets at https://winnipegjets.sharefile.com/d-sae7cb8bf62e64c0a921c62cf621635fc.
Tickets for Filipino Heritage Night are available at WinnipegJets.com/TICKETS.
#
For more information, please contact:
True North Sports + Entertainment
Krista Sinaisky
Director, Corporate Communications
C: 204.228.8576
