VAF Honors Five Community Champions at St. Louis Cardinals AAPI Heritage Game
ST. LOUIS, MO — The Very Asian Foundation (VAF) will honor five Community Champions during this year’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage celebration at the St. Louis Cardinals game on May 3.
The honorees were selected for their commitment to serving others, strengthening the St. Louis region, and making a meaningful impact in their communities.
“This recognition is about celebrating people who lead with service,” said Soogi Hong, executive director of the Very Asian Foundation. “These Community Champions represent the heart of St. Louis. They show up for others and make our region stronger every day.”
2026 Community Champions
Amy Buhr — Amy mentors youth through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri and helps organize the Usher Golf Tournament to raise funds for the Cardinals Care program. She was adopted from Vietnam at the age of two and is passionate about giving back.
Robin Hattori — A community educator and advocate, Robin works to preserve and uplift Asian American history, including the stories of Japanese Americans–including her parents–who were incarcerated during World War II. She volunteers with the Japan America Society Women’s Association, the Missouri Historical Society, and the Japanese American Citizens League and has led many collaborative projects, including a discussion series exploring Asian identity and an Asian-Jewish dialogue group.
Helen Lee — Founder and Principal of TAO + LEE Associates, Inc., an award-winning St. Louis design firm, Helen has spent decades shaping the built environment while championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the region through many organizations, including OCA-St. Louis, CREW-STL, and the Asian American Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Min Liu — A professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Dr. Liu empowers youth through civic engagement, cultural preservation, and mental health initiatives that amplify young voices in the community. She co-founded the Asian American Civic Scholars (AACS), and she leads the AAPI Youth Mental Health Initiative, spearheads the Valhalla Chinese Cemetery Preservation Project, co-directs the Very Asian Youth Concert, and helps organize the Chinese Culture Days Festival.
Tom Saito — A second-generation Japanese American and Vietnam-era U.S. Air Force veteran, Tom has served the St. Louis Cardinals organization and its fans for more than three decades. His father served in World War II with the US Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Tom enjoys being a dad of 2, Geechan to 6, playing golf, and making people’s day better.
This year’s celebration will also feature the debut of the first-ever AANHPI-themed St. Louis Cardinals jersey, designed by St. Louis-based artist and adoptee Claire Nipper.
Her design incorporates floral elements inspired by national flowers across Asia and the Pacific Islands, with red and gold symbolizing luck and prosperity in many Asian cultures. A central Clydesdale — depicted as a Fire Horse — honors the Year of the Horse and represents strength, passion, and forward movement. Polynesian-inspired sleeve patterns provide a subtle nod to Pacific Islander heritage.
The AAPI game starts at 1:15 p.m. on May 3 when the Cardinals play the Los Angeles Dodgers. Come celebrate the honorees at Budweiser Terrace starting at 11:45 a.m. with DJ Black Sun. Kids can also pick up a free book as part of The May Book Project, which is a youth literature project to support literacy and nuanced stories.
The Very Asian Foundation is a journalist-founded national nonprofit based in St. Louis that began with a viral moment. It is a grassroots organization that connects people by telling nuanced stories from an Asian American perspective.
