Hmong Wausau Festival gets $18K in grants
WAUSAU - The Hmong Wausau Festival will feature more sports thanks to $18,000 in grants announced Tuesday night.
The Festival will be funded in part by a $10,000 multicultural grant from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism and an $8,000 grant from the Sports Authority, which is a division of the Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention & Visitors Bureau. The departments presented the checks at a press conference at the Hmong American Center in Wausau.
The Hmong Wausau Festival is making its return to Wausau for the first time since 2011, at Wausau West, but there wasn't enough space. It will be held at the Eastbay Sports Complex at 602 Kent St. this year. The fest will host sports tournaments, highlighting sports such as flag football and soccer, that are popular with Hmong youth. The festival will also feature competitions that test knowledge of Hmong history and culture, as well as dance and singing competitions.
"This event is extremely important for the Hmong community," said Kham Thong Yang, the board president of the Hmong American Center. "It will showcase the talent."
Yang also highlighted how important it is to help everyone in the community understand each other's cultures.
"If we learn about each others cultures, we'll appreciate each other more," he said.
Yang said thanks to these grants, the Hmong Wausau Festival will have the opportunity to show Hmong youth in the community how valued they are.
"An event like this teaches kids to have interest in the community," he said.
The Hmong Wausau Festival will be held July 29 and 30 and is expected to draw thousands to Wausau to celebrate all the different facets of Hmong culture. But Yang wants to assure the community that all will be invited to take part in sports, try Hmong foods and shop at the different vendors.
"Anyone in the community can celebrate culture," Yang said. "They're more than welcome to come and join us."
Contact Going Out reporter Laura Schulte at 715-297-7532 or leschulte@gannett.com; on Twitter @schultelaura.