SAN JOSE, Calif. –
The San Jose Earthquakes and club sponsor BMW donated $10,700 to Cabrillo Elementary School in Fremont. BMW vowed to donate $100 for every save made by an Earthquakes goalkeeper during the 2016 MLS season, as part of the BMW Saves for School initiative.
Goalkeepers David Bingham and Andrew Tarbell made a total of 107 saves last season, paving the way for Earthquakes representatives, defender Florian Jungwirth and Gretchen Sprenger, manager of BMW Fremont, to present the oversized check to the school on Wednesday afternoon.
“A donation like this is important to our school because we do not have access to funds that many of our companion schools in this district do,” said Principal David Thornley. “We have been given an opportunity that we would not normally have. Cabrillo is about compassion and community and building a school where all of the students are proud of their accomplishments.”
The Quakes Foundation and BMW selected Cabrillo to be the recipient of the donation. Located in Fremont, the elementary school has 52% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, while 36% use English as a second language. Nearly 400 children attended the assembly to watch the presentation and meet the charismatic defenseman.
“Being so young in elementary school, I’m sure they’ll remember this forever,” said Sprenger. “The opportunity to be associated with a professional sports team in the area, I know the children will cherish that.”
The Fremont Unified School District has also started a new soccer league in 2017.
