A minor league baseball team in Utah recently canceled a weirdly named promotion after coming under fire on social media in the aftermath of the racially charged Charleston, South Carolina, shootings.
The Orem Owlz planned to host a “Caucasian Heritage Night” on Aug. 10 to celebrate fans who are “Irish, Italian, Scandinavian, German…. or even Utahn! Whatever your background, celebrate it at the Home of the Owlz!”
Once word about the proposed promotion spread on social media, it didn’t take long for people to chime in and voice their disdain for not only the event, but the timing of it in the wake of the recent racially motivated terrorist attack in a Charleston church.
In a statement released announcing the cancellation of the event, a spokesperson for the Owlz said the event was never intended to offend anyone, but to instead “have fun and make fun of everyday normalcies.”
“Our night was to include wonder bread on burgers with mayonnaise, clips from shows like ‘Friends’ and ‘Seinfeld’ and trying to solve the vertical leaping challenge,” said the spokesperson. “We understand, in light of recent tragic events, that our intentions have been misconstrued. For that, we sincerely apologize.”
The Orem Owlz are a minor league farm team attached to the Los Angeles Angels organization.
