With the second annual Czech Heritage Night approaching fast, we asked Chris Jensen, Group Sales Account Executive at San Jose Sharks, couple questions about how it all started, how Tomas Hertl liked the idea and what can we expect at the next Czech Heritage Night.
Second Czech Heritage Night is coming up on Saturday 11/11 @7pm as the Sharks battle the Canucks at the SAP Center in San Jose. (Tickets are as of now sold out, please check back at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/second-annual-czech-heritage-night-tickets-37952424724 for more details.)
The first Czech Heritage Night was wildly successful, who came up with the idea and
how did it all started?
Chris Jensen: We came up with the idea in the spring of 2016. With the development of Czech
player Tomas Hertl and the support he received from the local Czech community
leading up the Stanley Cup Final, we recognized just how passionate the Czech
community is about the sport of ice hockey. We were able to secure great
partners including the Czech School of California, Sokol San Francisco, and the
Orinda-Tabor Sister City Foundation. They were instrumental in spreading the
word about the event and coordinated a group of 450 Czech fans who supported
what turned out to be a sell-out event.
Tomas Hertl was definitely a star of the first Czech Heritage Night. How did he react to
this event? Did he enjoy having so many Czech and Slovak fans in the audience?
The community was so excited to meet him after the match, thank you for making this
happen!
Chris Jensen: Tomas was thrilled to see such tremendous support from the Czech and Slovak
communities. He was extremely happy to take part in the group photo after the
game and was still speaking about the event the next morning at practice.
Are “heritage nights” something you do on regular basis? Why is it important to you?
Chris Jensen: Absolutely. We host a number of “Heritage Nights” including Czech Heritage
Night, Hispanic Heritage Night, Portuguese Heritage Night, and a heritage night
for the Sikh community. We take great pride in the diversity found in San Jose
and the broader Bay Area. These nights are a fantastic way to celebrate this
unique area in which we live and we are happy to share this diversity with other
Sharks fans.
The second Czech Heritage Night is coming up – what can you tell us about it? Who is
going to be playing? Any specials for our community?
Chris Jensen: We are thrilled to host our second Czech Heritage Night with the San Jose Sharks
on Saturday, November 11 vs. the Vancouver Canucks. For this event, we have
created a special “Czech Heritage Night” beanie cap and all Czech guests will
receive a beanie with their ticket. As we did last year, guests will have the
opportunity to gather with fellow Czech fans to take a group photo on the ice!
And last, but not least – if there are any Czech players that night, can our community
meet them again after the match?
Chris Jensen: The Sharks are excited to announce Tomas Hertl will be back to take a group
photo with Czech fans who are taking part in the special event!!