Retired Lieutenant John Hohmann was recognized with the San Francisco 49ers Perry/Yonamine Unity Award for his commitment to Special Olympics Northern California (SONC) this October.
Lt. Hohmann, who served for 30 years with the Scotts Valley Police Department, received the award during an on-field ceremony prior to the 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams game on October 21 and was joined by Special Olympics athlete Sean. The award is named after former 49ers players Joe Perry and Wally Yonamine and annually honors an exceptional non-profit agency, football coach and a current 49ers player who demonstrate a commitment to promoting unity and giving back to the local community. In addition to the award for football coach and on-field recognition, Hohmann also received a $10,000 grant for SONC.
“I was very honored and humbled to receive the 49ers Unity Award,” said Lt. Hohmann. “I have seen so many remarkable coaches dedicating their time in multiple sports all year long for Special Olympics. I have played football since Pop Warner and into college, and I love how Unified Sports has brought so many people together. The athletes are amazingly talented.”
Lt. Hohmann has been a supporter of Special Olympics for nearly 20 years and recently helped launch the Unified Flag Football program in San Jose, where he has been a coach for two years. He is also a member of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for Special Olympics, the largest grassroots fundraising vehicle for the organization. He annually plans and coordinates the Police in Pursuit “fund-racer” at Ocean Speedway; is the chair of the Santa Cruz Polar Plunge each winter, along with taking the icy dip himself; leads the Torch Run to the annual Summer Games; and volunteers his time at dozens of other events throughout the year. Through his hard work and dedication, Lt. Hohmann has personally raised over $100,000 for SONC over the years.