SAN JOSE, Calif. –
The San Jose Earthquakes announced the 10 recipients of a Devotion Scarf for 2016, an honor bestowed upon the most devoted Earthquakes fans, staff, alumni or members of the Earthquakes family. The recipients of the Devotion Scarves were honored at halftime during this afternoon’s match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Avaya Stadium. Devotion Scarves were presented for the first time in 2015 and are now awarded annually at the final home game of the regular season.
“The Earthquakes are proud to continue recognizing some of the most dedicated members of our family with Devotion Scarves,” said Earthquakes President Dave Kaval. “The devotion of our fans, staff and community are fundamental to our organization and we look forward to honoring them.”
The 10 recipients of a 2016 Devotion Scarf are listed below in alphabetical order:
Dan Burkhead
– A season ticket holder since 2008 and supporter of the Earthquakes Community Fund, Burkhead also runs a fan website, quakesfan.com. His proudest Quakes moment was running the California International Marathon in 2015 while carrying an Earthquakes flag for the entire 26-mile, 385-yard race.
Olly Bayliss
– Olly is a season ticket holder who previously worked for Major League Soccer camps and now runs programming for Kidz Love Soccer.
Ted Firestone
– He has been a part of the Earthquakes staff since 2007 and is one of the longest continuously serving members of the front office. He is currently the senior manager of season ticket sales.
Krazy George Henderson
– The original Quakes fan, Krazy George has been a part of the organization since 1974 when he began his illustrious career as a professional cheerleader. He is known as the inventor of the “Wave” and is responsible for many of the traditional cheers for the Earthquakes.
Dan Ignacio –
Ignacio is a local San Jose resident and a valued member of the Quakes Usher team. He has been part of the Quakes organization for more than six years. His most memorable Quakes moment was the March 22, 2015 inaugural match at Avaya Stadium against the Chicago Fire.
Bryan Jarvis
– A game day staff member since 1996, Jarvis rarely misses a game and has helped organize game day staff for the Quakes for nearly 20 years. He was also instrumental in building the strong partnership between the Earthquakes and the Police Activities League (PAL).
Jerry and Bernie Larkin
– The Larkins have been supporting soccer in the Bay Area since the 1994 World Cup at Stanford Stadium. They have worked for the Earthquakes in media operations since 1996, helping run the press box and record statistics among other duties.
Mayor Sam Liccardo
– The Mayor of San Jose has been a long time supporter of the Earthquakes dating back to the North American Soccer League era of the club. He was instrumental in helping the Quakes find a permanent home with his support of the Avaya Stadium project and continues to work with the club on a number of initiatives, including a joint program with the Positive Coaching Alliance.
Eric Santiago
– An ardent supporter of the Quakes since 2012, Santiago commutes three hours from his hometown of Willits, Calif. to Avaya Stadium for every home game. Santiago’s favorite Quakes memory dates back to his first game on Sept. 29, 2012 against FC Dallas, where Steven Lenhart notched a brace to earn the Quakes a point in the 3-3 draw.
2015 marked the first year that the Earthquakes recognized individuals with Devotion Scarves. The 21 recipients of the first Devotion Scarves were 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.
