Football is family.
To that end, no one is a more cherished member of the Chargers' football family than their valued season ticket members.
On Sunday, the Bolts won their fifth straight home game and clinched a winning record on the season with a 30-10 dismantling of the Oakland Raiders. However, the day also doubled as Fan Appreciation Day at StubHub Center as the Chargers gave away over 200 prizes, including three sets of tickets to the Super Bowl, a trip to the 2018 Pro Bowl, Vons groceries for a year and much more.
One such lucky winner was Joe Pastorelle, who has been a Season Ticket Member since 2003 and comes to each game with his son. Pastorelle was told he was being rewarded with a special experience; getting to watch part of the action from the field and then be interviewed on BoltVision.
But there was one more surprise in store.
The Pastorelles are heading to the Super Bowl.
It's a moment he'll cherish forever, chiefly because of what it meant for his son after all the Bolts have meant to their relationship.
"I couldn't believe this was really happening," he said. "I was jumping up and down, and my son had this huge rush of emotions. He bent over and was bawling his eyes out, trying to hold it together. I gave my son a hug and everything, and he couldn't even talk. The one thing that really got me choked up was when I talked to my son later, after he calmed down, I asked why he was so emotional. That was pretty cool. He said, 'It was pretty awesome to win tickets to the Super Bowl, but when they told you, and I saw you jump backwards and get all excited, that meant the world to me. Because I enjoy football, but this is our thing. This is what you've loved forever, and I enjoy coming and spending time with you. Seeing you that happy really got me emotional.'"
Meanwhile, Mark Meneses is a first-year Season Ticket Member who loved every minute of the StubHub experience.
He was another one of the lucky 200 to be surprised on Sunday as he'll head to Orlando later in the month for the Pro Bowl.
"I was in shock," he said. "I couldn't believe I won. I was always a Chargers fan, and when they moved to L.A., I wanted to grab tickets quickly to watch the team in person. It means a lot to see how they are taking care of their fans."
