SAN JOSE, Calif. – At halftime of Sunday’s match, the San Jose Earthquakes will honor 12 recipients of a Devotion Scarf, an honor bestowed upon only the most devoted Earthquakes fans, staff, alumni or other members of the Earthquakes family. The Quakes presented Devotion Scarves for the first time in 2015, and they are now awarded annually at the final home game of the regular season. The 12 recipients of a 2018 Devotion Scarf are included below in alphabetical order with descriptions of their commitments to club. The complete archive of all Devotion Scarf recipients can be found here.
Dorene Bolanos – Bolanos was first introduced to the Quakes in 2001 through her sons. She was coaching their youth teams and organized a team trip to Spartan Stadium for a match. Throughout her years of following the team, she has lived through some of the greatest moments in Quakes history, including her favorite of seeing the team win the 2001 MLS Cup. Bolanos currently serves as a security guard at the staff and player entrance at Quakes games and is known for her welcoming smile and warm personality.
Terry Cotting-Mogan – A Season Pass Holder since 1998, it took Cotting-Mogan just one game to become smitten with the Quakes. Since getting season tickets with her son’s soccer coach and his family, she has grown to love the sport, the players and the growing soccer community. During her 20 years of following the team, many memories stand out to her, but participating in the groundbreaking for Avaya Stadium in 2012 and watching the Quakes overturn a four-goal deficit to beat the LA Galaxy in 2003 are two of her favorites.
Curtis Hisao – Hisao’s affiliation with the Quakes dates back to 1994, even before Major League Soccer existed, when he met the team’s future President Peter Bridgwater while working for American Airlines. Once the team formed, he used to take care of the Quakes and their travel arrangements until he retired from American in 2002 and embarked on a new role as the team’s massage therapist. He has now served as the Quakes’ massage therapist for 11 years and has established a lifelong connection with the club.
Jacquie & Jeff Hofmann – Jacquie and Jeff Hofmann have been around the Quakes since day one. Their faces are featured on the opening day poster for the San Jose Clash’s first-ever game, which was also the first-ever game in MLS history. They both interned with the club’s media relations department and started helping with stats in 1996, a role that they have maintained to this day. They both have demonstrated their passion for the team on countless occasions, including traveling 12 hours to see the Quakes play in Columbus for the 2001 MLS Cup.
Colin McCarthy – Longtime fan Colin McCarthy first purchased his season tickets on April 7, 1996, the day after the league’s inaugural match in San Jose, and has had them ever since. He is a founding member and was the original president of Soccer Silicon Valley, the organization that was founded in 2004 to help keep the Quakes in San Jose. McCarthy was also involved in the team’s rebirth in 2008 and getting a permanent soccer-specific stadium built. His fondest memory was catching Joe Cannon’s shoe while the goalkeeper was playing for the Quakes and his favorite player is Chris Wondolowski because he believes Wondo lives and breathes the Earthquakes and has an unrivaled spirit on the field.
Kevin Moore – Responsible for the upkeep of the field, Moore has worked as the groundskeeper for the Quakes since the return of the team to San Jose in 2008. His roles with the club extend beyond field maintenance, as he is often found helping other departments with their tasks in upkeeping Avaya Stadium. For Moore, being with the Quakes is more than just a job.
Raul Peralez – Serving as the District 3 City Council Member, Peralez is an avid proponent of all things San Jose, and especially the Quakes. A San Jose native, he grew up playing soccer and became a fan of the club in 1996 with the start of Major League Soccer. For Peralez, the opening of Avaya Stadium is his favorite Quakes memory as it solidified the club’s permanent place in San Jose.
Cezar Popovici – On gamedays, Popovici can be found cheering his heart out with other members of the San Jose Ultras in the Supporters’ Terrace. Popovici co-founded the Quakes supporters’ group with Dan Margarit on April 19, 2003 and has shown unwavering support for the club since then, sticking with the team through both good times and bad. He is a hardcore fan of the Earthquakes.
Joe Santos Sr. – Santos Sr. was a Quakes fan since the club was established in 1974 and made sure his family had tickets to see them play in the many different leagues and stadiums that they called home over the years. His involvement with the club extended beyond that of a fan, as he worked as a statistician during the early years of the team in MLS. His favorite Quakes memory was watching them win their second MLS Cup by defeating the Chicago Fire at StubHub Center in 2003 and then spending the evening celebrating with the team at the hotel. Santos Sr. passed away earlier this year, but his family will be on the pitch on Sunday to receive Devotion Scarves in his memory.
Susan Silveira – Silveira’s connection with the Quakes extends to many aspects of her life. Her parents, Rich and Jill Brauss, were statisticians for the Quakes from 1974-81, and she grew up playing soccer and supporting the club. Before retiring, Silveira worked for the Quakes’ partner Valley Health Plan, and personally worked on the community-driven partnership and helped organize the Quakes’ Free Play days, which offer children between the ages of 5-11 the chance to enjoy the game of soccer in a safe and pressure-free environment. Today, Silveira attends Quakes games as a fan, and particularly enjoys going to the Portuguese Heritage Nights with her husband’s family.
John Wondolowski – Wondolowski has been a fan of the Quakes since the beginning and took his three sons to watch the team play at Spartan Stadium while they were growing up. The father of Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski, he has experienced many memorable moments during his years of supporting the team, including watching his son earn his first minutes at home when he was subbed into the game at Spartan Stadium on Sept. 10, 2005.
Previous Devotion Scarf Recipients:
2017: Raul Bueno, Debbie Freeman, Brian Holmes, Betty Jean Schweitzer, John Jussen, Darryl Kojima, Amanda Farina-Morris, Jeff Ota, Easy Perez, Mike Pizzo and John Todd.
2016: Dan Burkhead, Olly Bayliss, Ted Firestone, Krazy George Henderson, Dan Ignacio, Bryan Jarvis, Jerry and Bernie Larkin, Mayor Sam Liccardo and Eric Santiago.
2015: Mark and Patty Biagini, Marlee and Glenn Castleman, Shaun Del Grande, Julie Di Maria, Dr. Michael Furlong, Jose Fuentes, Don Gagliardi, Jeff Kordes, Dan Margarit, Dave McAllister, Carol Haner, Shelley McCune, Jesse Mendes, Dave Obenour, Anthony Perry, Carlos Cesar Rivera, Brenda Scott, Alan Wolfe and Ken Yeager.
