The San Jose Earthquakes have launched an initiative to tackle food insecurity in the South Bay for the next 18 months.
It is called Pledge 74, both named after the year the club was founded (1974) and the amount the Quakes are hoping to raise and donate ($740,000) to aid many San Jose residents whose reality of not knowing where their next meal is coming from has been further exacerbated by COVID-19.
Although the Earthquakes are just formally announcing the Pledge 74 name, the club have been taking steps toward the cause since March.
The club has contributed more than $50,000 towards food insecurity, including a $21,000 donation to feed students of the Alum Rock Union School District after school closures back in March. The Quakes have also held events to feed frontline workers at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s Mountain View Center, part of the Sutter Health network, as well as creating charitable merchandise to benefit United Farm Workers.
“The Earthquakes organization has deep roots in this community,” Earthquakes COO Jared Shawlee said in a statement. “Pledge 74 was born out of necessity due to the alarming number of individuals right here in our own backyard that are struggling to put food on their table. We are uniting as a club to fight against hunger.’
The Earthquakes’ donation, in tandem with local volunteers, helped feed the 12,000 students in the district.
There are numerous tiers to the Quakes’ charitable efforts.
- All Earthquakes full-time staff will volunteer at least 7.4 hours each, with incentives provided for those who go above and beyond for their community. Earthquakes players will also contribute an aggregated total of 74 hours of volunteer service, along with additional hours by members of the Quakes academy.
- At least 7.4% of all ad-buys will specifically target awareness of food security issues. The club will also make a concerted effort to fund billboards around Silicon Valley for this cause as well as generate PSAs and leverage local influencers to amplify messaging.
- Every dollar of new season ticket deposits will go to food security partners, and all deposits made within the first 74 hours after the launch of Pledge 74 will be matched by the Earthquakes. Additionally, more than $0.74 of every single-game ticket will go to the program and free suite tickets and parking will be used as rewards for top volunteers outside the organization.
- The Quakes will create and sell specific Pledge 74 items, with 100% of proceeds benefitting food security. Additionally, the Quakes will work with Fanatics to create fundraising opportunities for Pledge 74.
- The Quakes will work in tandem with stadium concessionaire Spectra to donate unused food to local food banks after every home match. The Earthquakes will also provide assistance to club partners in the restaurant business to donate unused food as well.
- The Earthquakes and Earthquakes Stadium will continue to be a home for community programming, events and educational opportunities. Ranging from our sustainable garden, to using club facilities to help organize food donations and packing events, Earthquakes Stadium will be a home for Pledge 74.
- The club generally charges a fee to outside organizations for stadium usage, but will offer 74 hours of complimentary use to food banks or other allies in the fight against hunger.
