Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

The Cleveland Guardians are excited to celebrate and honor Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Throughout the month of May, the Guardians will celebrate and uplift the AAPI community in Cleveland by participating in local activities, culminating in our 3rd annual AAPI Night presented by Nestlé at Progressive Field on Friday, May 30.

As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure everyone has a chance to be part our game, the Guardians work in partnership with local community organizations to provide learning and education to our staff and teammates throughout the entire year. We know that jewel events like AAPI Night allow us to intentionally spotlight the collective stories of hope, struggle, and opportunity that make our city and team better.

Friday, May 30 – AAPI Celebration presented by Nestlé

Join the Guardians for a night of educational and inclusive experiences celebrating all fans.

• Ceremonial first pitch by Dylan Fallon, owner of Ninja City
• National Anthem performed by Korean Gayageum Rock Star and YouTube Sensation Luna Lee
• Game ball delivery from Tina Chamoun, owner of Terranean Spices, Spreads & Snacks
• Pregame performance by the Kwan Family Lion Dancers
• Photo opportunities with Pacific Paradise Entertainment Group
• Appearances by the Cleveland Asian Festival mascots
• First-ever AAPI Community Resource Fair behind the SeatGeek Infield Lounge (5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.)
• Special fan giveaways from the Cleveland Strikers
• In-game content highlighting AAPI resources on the scoreboard
• “Celebrate AAPI” post-game Phantom Fireworks show presented by Ohio Lottery
• And more!

Fans can upgrade their experience and purchase a Theme Night ticket for the May 30 game to receive a limited-edition jersey featuring the “AAPI C” logo. A portion of the proceeds from each Theme Night ticket will benefit MotivAsians, a local non-profit organization established to cultivate a vibrant Asian community for Greater Cleveland.

Saturday, May 17 & Sunday, May 18 – Cleveland Asian Festival

The Cleveland Asian Festival is a grassroots festival that highlights Cleveland’s AsiaTown, Diversity and Asian Culture in Northeast Ohio. Organized by the community, for the community to celebrate Cleveland’s diversity and Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May.

The Guardians are a proud sponsor of the Cleveland Asian Festival and will have a booth at the festival with games, giveaways, mascot appearances, and more.

The Guardians are proud to celebrate local organizations supporting the AAPI community:

• Global Ambassador Language Academy (GALA)
  GALA offers a bilingual education through its Mandarin and Spanish immersion program for grades K-8. GALA is the first language-immersion school in Northeast Ohio and the only Mandarin-immersion school in Ohio.

• MotivAsians
  MotivAsians for Cleveland is a non-profit organization established to cultivate a vibrant Asian community Greater Cleveland by promoting the attraction and retention of Asian-American professionals.

• OPAWL
  Originally founded in 2016, OPAWL is a grassroots member-led community that organizes for social justice and elevates the voices, visibility and progressive leadership of Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and nonbinary people in Ohio.

• AsiaTown Cleveland
  AsiaTown is a unique Cleveland neighborhood, a vibrant cultural destination, business and dining district and residential home.

• OCA Greater Cleveland – Asian Pacific American Advocates
  OCA Greater Cleveland Chapter has been servicing the continuously growing Asian Pacific American community in Northeast Ohio since 1983. OCA works closely with partnering organizations and communities to promote ethnic awareness and cultural diversity.

Cleveland Guardians social platform, CLE Inspires, will highlight different AAPI initiatives throughout the month of May. CLE Inspires will focus on the work done by our community partners.

Additionally, CLE Inspires will share highlights from the Cleveland Guardians AAPI Heritage Celebration on Friday, May 30.