As in recent years, the San Diego Padres will recognize the contributions of the Puerto Rican community in that California city this coming Saturday as part of “Puerto Rican Heritage Night,” during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park.

The event is part of the team’s celebration of cultural diversity, which it promotes, and comes shortly after the franchise agreed to its sale to a group of investors led by Puerto Rican José E. Feliciano and his wife Kwanza Jones for a record sum of $3.9 billion.

The sale still needs to be approved by Major League Baseball.

The event will benefit House of Puerto Rico San Diego, a nonprofit organization that promotes Puerto Rican culture in that city.

Attendees who purchased tickets through the so-called “heritage packages” via the organization also received a commemorative cap designed by Puerto Rican artist based in California, Rocío C. Delgado.

“The advantage is that everyone who buys through us has guaranteed seats among fellow Puerto Ricans”, said Carmen Acevedo Belasco, a Puerto Rican who serves as the museum coordinator for House of Puerto Rico San Diego and is a member of its board of directors.

“Before the game, we hold a small get-together, a pre-party, so people can mingle, do a bit of networking, and have a good time before the game. During the game, you know you’ll be sharing more directly with your own”, added the volunteer, who noted that for this year’s edition they sold 339 tickets.

This Saturday’s game is part of a four-game series between the Padres and the Cardinals, which will begin on Thursday.

Founded in 1972 by Puerto Rican families in San Diego, House of Puerto Rico San Diego operates as a community center that brings together the Puerto Rican diaspora while promoting culture through events, workshops, and celebrations.

The organization also has a “casita” in Balboa Park, where it showcases Puerto Rico’s history and traditions and hosts educational activities open to the public, in addition to serving as a cultural bridge with other communities within the International Cottages multicultural complex.

The possibility that Feliciano, a native of Bayamón, will become the next owner of the Padres has the Puerto Rican community very excited, acknowledged Acevedo Belasco, who is originally from Las Marías and the daughter of the late former mayor Adrián Heriberto Acevedo.

“Now all Puerto Ricans feel like owners of the Padres”, Acevedo Belasco said with a laugh. “Seriously, it’s a source of pride to have a Puerto Rican who has been successful, who supports sports, and who could own a team like this”, she added.

Acevedo Belasco, who has lived in San Diego for 21 years, highlighted that the team has featured Puerto Rican players such as brothers Roberto Alomar and Sandy Alomar Jr., Benito Santiago, and more recently Víctor Caratini. She also emphasized that the organization has always had a strong Latin presence.

“There is almost always some Puerto Rican influence among the Padres. It doesn’t take many years before we have another Puerto Rican, and that really excites us”, she said.

“San Diego fans are very loyal and passionate about their team. But when it’s a Puerto Rican player, those of us who are far away feel even more excited”,

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This content was translated from Spanish to English using artificial intelligence and was reviewed by an editor before being published.