The Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Monday the performing lineup that will be featured at their June 12 home game on Philippine Independence Day. The game will feature Filipino music, dance and concourse activities in celebration of the occasion and Winnipeg’s Filipino community.
Headlining the event will be guest D.J. Kilusan, a Tagalog Visayan Filipinx multi-talented artist and community organizer. A born and raised Winnipegger, their work as a street style dancer and open-format D.J. has brought them all over North America. Kilusan's most recent projects include completing the Women in Music Canada’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator and co-producing with CCFM kiki ballroom events for the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Performing at halftime will be Magdaragat Philippines Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Filipino culture through dance. Created in 1976, the group uses traditional Filipino folk dance, ballet, jazz, martial arts, hip hop, creative movement, poetry, theatre and music to express aspects of their culture. The group has been involved with Folklorama for many years, representing Winnipeg at festivals in Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica and Chile.
To accompany the entertainment, the Sea Bears are also excited to announce that Filipino dishes will be added to the menu at Canada Life Centre for June 12.
Local non-profit Winnipeg’s Got Sole will also partner with the Sea Bears to collect lightly used basketball shoes for underprivileged youth. Founded in 2013 by three members of Winnipeg’s Filipino community, the organization also gives back with the Winnipeg's Got Sole Student Athlete Award, which gifts a deserving male and female youth with an award and pair of shoes each year. The Sea Bears encourage fans to bring any lightly used basketball shoes to donate to Winnipeg’s Got Sole on the concourse at the game. Initiatives like this propel our collective basketball community forward and help everyone to get in the game.
“We’re proud to honour and recognize the Philippine community in Winnipeg – both because it has massively enhanced life in our city and especially because it is the hotbed of basketball in Manitoba,” said Sea Bears owner and chairman David Asper.
The festivities will begin when the Sea Bears return to Canada Life Centre to face the Edmonton Stingers June 12 at 7 p.m. CT. For tickets, visit seabears.ca/tickets.