Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama Honored by Los Wepas de Worcester

The Worcester Red Sox paid tribute to several Latin American countries in the fifth meeting of the Copa de la Diversion this season; Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama were the nations that, in one way or another, were represented on the night of July 5.

The Copa de la Diversión is a Minor League Baseball initiative to promote the sport and connect its teams with Hispanic/Latino communities. For these games, teams adopt a culturally relevant identity and personality for some matches of the season.

Even though the weather was inclement a day earlier, the WooSox opened the doors of Polar Park to welcome people on a single-entry doubleheader. Fans had the opportunity to enjoy an afternoon full of baseball in addition to the multi-cultural tradition that Wepas days have become.

DJ Jensky of La Mega Radio kicked off the festivities to the rhythm of Latin music at DCU Plaza in a party that continued to the diamond with the presentation of the pre-match ceremonies. Starting with a folkloric dance from the country of Guatemala, the flags of the countries honored waved on the home plate as the national anthem of El Salvador was sung by Cindy Caballero with an a cappella rendition. Also, the U.S. national anthem was sung by Anthony Andrade of Worcester with his second performance of the season.

The first pitch starred Hamilton Soriano from El Salvador. He is a first-generation Latin American and lives with his wife Jackie and daughter Hillary here in Worcester. He is a fierce advocate for underrepresented communities in the city. He is a founding committee member of a non-profit organization that provides leadership and advocacy for BIPOC professionals. He tutors UMass Amherst students and speaks to children at Worcester Vocational School in February. As a financial advisor to Edward Jones, he empowers his clients and the Latino community through a comprehensive financial planning process.

For the "Heart of Worcester," which is usually responsible for honoring different individuals and organizations that work with the community and who are active agents of change, the Worcester Spanish Book Club, was honored. Since 2022, they meet on the first Saturday of every month at the Worcester Public Library. They promote the reading of books written by Latino authors in Spanish.

Its goal is to promote reading in the city's Hispanic community, reconnect with its roots, and maintain cultural traditions. To date, it has more than 30 members. In addition to the Reading Club, they organize the annual Salvadoran Flag Raising Ceremony at Worcester City Hall. This year, with the support of the Worcester and Shrewsbury Mass Cultural Council, they are hosting the Salvadoran Festival, which will take place on Saturday, September 2, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. at City Hall's Plaza de Banderas.

In addition, they discuss cultural identity at the Consulate General of El Salvador in Boston and support Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients with their re-registration.

In the gastronomic line, attendees could enjoy pupusas, a typical dish of a thick tortilla based on corn dough or rice stuffed with one or more ingredients, such as cheese, pork rinds, refried beans, and more.

The WooSox split the doubleheader against the Rochester Red Wings with a 10–8 loss in the first game and a 4–2 win in the second game at 7 innings.

There is one remaining Wepa night this season: September 16, when the club honor spotlight the culture of Brazil.