World Cup spirit at Facilities is a well-documented phenomenon. This year, with the World Cup being hosted here in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, it feels even closer to home.
Viewing parties can be found across San Francisco, and at UCSF, World Cup spirit has taken over the Rutter Center lounge, where you can find folks cheering on their favorite team on game day afternoons.
Kate Shimshock and Paris Reed are sporting their favorite team's jerseys.
Facilities also organized its own World Cup Spirit Day at the Rutter Center patio, where staff members who recently completed the Leadership Development Training were celebrating in their favorite team's jerseys.
Denny Nguyen and Jeff Mills pose together to show team pride at the Leadership Development Training and World Cup celebrations.
"What makes our Facilities celebration special is that it brings everyone together. We put the World Cup on the big screen in our break room, so the matches play in the background all day. Every now and then, you'll hear someone suddenly cheer or yell with excitement after a big goal or an exciting play. It's fun to see coworkers from different backgrounds supporting their teams and sharing that excitement, and it creates a great sense of camaraderie," Landscape Supervisor Denny Nguyen said.
From left to right: Leebo Pomele, Li Yabin, Debbie Peña, Eduardo Rojas.
For Assistant Superintendent for Custodial Services, Debbie Peña, the World Cup holds a special place in her heart as a connection to her childhood, her family, former teammates, and old friends, both back home and around the globe.
"What I love most is how it bridges the gap between different shifts, locations, and schedules, allowing us to truly share time as one team. It created a space for us to debate who might win and share the personal stories behind the jerseys we wore," Peña said. "For instance, while my favorite team is Argentina, I wore a Germany jersey for the celebration. My best friend and his wife live there now, so wearing it was very meaningful to me."
It served as a beautiful reminder that no matter how scattered across the world we are, we remain connected.