FRIENDS OF JOE VIDE
Soccer Silicon Valley Community Foundation, in tandem with the San Jose Earthquakes and its 1906 Ultras supporters group, raised $1600 for former San Jose Earthquakes player Joe Vide's medical expenses. In April, Vide was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After a round of chemotherapy, he learned that his insurance company would not be covering further treatment.
The Ultras raised $300 for Friends of Joe Vide (FOJV) in mostly $5 and $10 increments at the pregame tailgate for the Quakes match vs. New York Red Bulls on May 8. The Ultras' contribution was matched by SSVCF, which forwarded a $600 check to FOJV. SSVCF and the Ultras also signed in sharpie a white Quakes jersey as a sort of get-well-card, and the Ultras displayed a large banner promoting the cause during the game.
Additionally, SSVCF participated in the Earthquakes' auction of game-worn jerseys for the cause, contributing another $1,000 to acquire four jerseys worn during the club's 4-0 win over New York -- those of Bobby Burling (who scored his first MLS goal in the game), Andre Luiz, Chris Leitch and Jason Hernandez -- for the Soccer Legacy Collection at History San Jose, where they will be preserved for posterity and available for exhibit in the anticipated new soccer stadium.
