Fireflies unveil Copa de la Diversión brand
March 18, 2019
The Fireflies have partnered with Minor League Baseball as it heads into year two of its Copa de la Diversión program. The program will feature 72 teams in 2019 who will change their name and logo for multiple games throughout the season to connect with the Latinx community.
For three home games at Segra Park, the Fireflies will transform into Chicharrónes de Columbia, complete with new uniforms, food, and music. The Chicharrónes will play three home games at Segra Park on April 18, 19 and 20. New merchandise is currently available to fans with the new Chicharrónes logo and colors.
Columbia’s growing Hispanic / Latin American community comprises nearly 6% of the populations of the Midlands region of South Carolina. Consisting of people from over 18 countries across North, Central and South America, Columbia is a true melting pot of Latino culture. While more than 50% of the Spanish-speaking residents in our community are from Mexico, there are large population bases from Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Colombia, Honduras, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. As the team was searching for an identity for Columbia’s Copa team, a constant culinary theme across all nations was found that is represented in our community: Chicharrónes.
Chicharrónes are a pork dish featuring either pork belly or pork rinds and are a staple in the diets of people throughout these countries, albeit with national variations from country to country. Chicharrónes can be a main course served with a sauce, or as a popular finger-food snack. Sharing meals together brings a sense of community, family and togetherness across all cultures, which is truly a metaphor for what we do at Segra Park every day: bringing people from all walks of life together as a community.
“We look forward to introducing the Chicharrónes to the Midlands, and to serving our guests our own version of Chicharrónes at the ballpark each and every night,” said Fireflies president John Katz.
397 Copa de la Diversión games will be played across Minor League Baseball in 2019, beginning on April 5.
Individual game tickets for the 2019 season are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Fireflies box office, over the phone at 803-726-HITS or online atFirefliesTickets.com. Season tickets for the 2019 Columbia Fireflies season are also available for purchase. Packages start as low as $70.
About the Columbia Fireflies
The Columbia Fireflies are the South Atlantic League affiliate of the New York Mets. Winners of Ballpark Digest’s Best New Branding and Logo Award in 2016, the Fireflies play games across the southeast and mid-Atlantic regions, including against in-state rivals in Charleston and Greenville. The team partnered with the city of Columbia and Hughes Development to construct Segra Park, a multi-use outdoor sports and entertainment venue at the center of the BullStreet District. The Columbia Fireflies are owned by Hardball Capital, owners of the Fort Wayne TinCaps of the Midwest League and the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern League. For more information, visit www.ColumbiaFireflies.com, or follow the Fireflies on Twitter (@ColaFireflies), Facebook (facebook.com/columbiafireflies) and all popular social media platforms.
About Segra Park
Segra Park (formerly Spirit Communications Park), named as the 2018 South Atlantic League Best Playing Surface and the 2016 Ballpark Digest Ballpark of the Year, is a 365-day per year multi-use sports and entertainment venue located in the heart of downtown Columbia, South Carolina. Segra Park is the home ballpark for the Columbia Fireflies, the South Atlantic League affiliate of the New York Mets. Designed for baseball, concerts, football, soccer and a host of other activities, the venue seats approximately 9,000 for sporting events and up to 15,000 for major outdoor concerts. With 16 luxury suites and a 7,000 square-foot Club Level Lounge, Segra Park also hosts everything from business meetings to wedding receptions, and everything in between. The venue is open 365 days a year and serves as a public park, with a wrap-around concourse representing 1/3 of a mile for walkers and joggers. For more information, visit www.SegraPark.com.
