Monterey Bay Football Club celebrated Pride Night at Cardinale Stadium this past weekend during the club’s match against Sacramento Republic FC. The night’s festivities began with the club providing the first 1,000 fans who entered Cardinale Stadium with a commemorative Union Pride bracelet, while the MBFC Team Shop sold Union Pride-edition t-shirts, flags, scarves and more.
Then leading up to kickoff, under a pride flag flying high above the North end of the centerline at Cardinale Stadium, Monterey Bay F.C. players donned special-edition pride tops during team warm-ups. The warm-up tops, a light blue shirt with a rainbow Union crest displayed front and center, were then signed by Union players after the match and will be auctioned off at a later date with all proceeds benefiting local LBGTQ+ organizations.
Two local pride organizations, Salinas Valley Pride (SVP) and Monterey Peninsula Pride, were in attendance at the match and honored at halftime. President Eric Mora, Vice President Crystal Libby, Chair of the Board Mariana Arredondo, Treasurer Eric Conrad and Member-at-Large Aaron Snyder were the honorees from SVP. Meanwhile, Co-Chair Tyller Willamson, Treasurer David Ciani, OSC Chair Thomas Davis, and Board Members Melanie Zaragoza and Ryan Artuyo were honored from Monterey Peninsula Pride.
“Salinas Valley Pride Celebrations had a great time at MBFC’s Pride Night,” said Mora, President of SVP. “Many community members mentioned that it was their first time attending a Monterey Bay F.C. game and with such a warm welcome, it certainly won’t be their last.”
