Fiesta Bowl Organization Newsletter | Volume 18

OPENING KICKOFF April starts a new fiscal year for us at the Fiesta Bowl and we are excited about the opportunities this new year will bring. Our charge is always to continue to improve and to grow, year after year.

As much as we concentrate on elevating our two Bowl Season college football games, we spend as much time and dedication on our off-the-field activities.

College football has been central to our organization for 50 years and always will be.

By delivering on our mission, we enhance the lives of Arizonans. Through our commitment to fund youth, sports and education programs, we directly support the Arizona community.

FIESTA BOWL ORGANIZATION NEWSLETTER

You will read about the Kindness Arizona partnership with Desert Financial, a weeklong event that brought the spirit of giving to many across the state. Our two organizations teamed up to spread some kindness and provided muchneeded resources to those who serve others.

Looking through our monthly newsletter, you learn about the different actions we take to grow our impact. Sometimes it is by managing events, other times through charitable giving, volunteerism, our free and open-to-the-public Ziegler Family Fiesta Bowl Museum or identifying areas of need to make lives better.

The Fiesta Bowl holds events all throughout the year. Our newest event is happening right now.

We are in the middle of our inaugural Fiesta Bowl Esports Showdown, where high school students compete against each other in Rocket League and Arizona residents 18 and older battle in Call of Duty: Warzone. This is the first of a lineup that we look forward to executing.

Opportunities to make our impact continue. It’s a new year for us but our mission remains the same.

Thank you for being our teammate on this journey. We are Fiesta!

VOLUME 18

Mike Nealy Executive Director

NEWS & NOTES

It’s Gaming Time!

The Fiesta Bowl has moved the competition from the gridiron to the virtual battleground with the inaugural Fiesta Bowl Esports Showdown. Open to Arizona residents and students, two tournaments offer thousands of dollars in scholarships and prizes, in addition to exclusive Fiesta Bowl experiences.

Today’s most popular games take the Fiesta Bowl virtual stage. Arizona high school students compete in Rocket League for scholarships and prizes, while Arizona residents 18 years and older face off in Call of Duty: Warzone with cash and experiences on the line.

Registration is now open by visiting FiestaBowl.org/esports.

The Rocket League high school competition has two of its four qualifiers in the books, with two more starting on Saturday, April 10, the same day as the opening session of Call of Duty: Warzone. The Final Showdown for both games is Saturday, April 24. Two winning teams from each Rocket League qualifier move on to the Final Showdown, and four teams from each of the two Call of Duty: Warzone qualifiers.

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KILLING IT WITH KINDNESS The first-ever Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Kindness Arizona caravan completed its tour around the state by making 25 stops in five days from March 22-26. A bus, wrapped in signature colors, journeyed through the Phoenix Metro, Flagstaff, Prescott and Tucson and was met with excitement at each stop, with a few surprises in tow.

Taking the spirit of the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Parade, Kindness Arizona brought community impact and connection in a safe environment.

Throughout the tour, volunteers delivered funds, equipment, supplies and cheer directly to communities. A full recap of the weeklong tour can be found at FiestaBowl.org/KindnessArizona.

With five stops per day for each of the five days, Kindness Arizona included financial donations to nonprofits to support needed programming; Random Acts of Kindness that included extra tips for restaurant servers and paying for customers’ gasoline at the pump; donations of hygiene kits; a gift to St. Vincent de Paul in Prescott to help the unsheltered new sneakers for youth at Boys & Girls Club of Tucson; clothing for foster children; massage chair gifts to schools; cookies distribution to Phoenix Police and Fire Departments; and renovations of teachers lounges, the Salvation Army of Tucson and Homeward Bound.

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NEWS & NOTES Field of Dreams Fiesta Bowl Charities, in partnership with APS, continued its tradition of donating the field from the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, plus a scoreboard, to the community.

The 80,000 square-foot field was unveiled at the Colangelo Branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley.

Every year, the home of the Guaranteed Rate Bowl transforms from baseball diamond to football field in late December. The turf was installed in preparation for the game, removed, then loaded onto a dozen flatbed trailers (logos, paint and all) and traveled across the Valley to the Boys & Girls Club for reinstallation.

When the children had their inaugural Day of Play on March 30, it was the first time football was played on the brand new field, as, due to health and safety protocols, the Guaranteed Rate Bowl game was postponed.

The newly-minted Guaranteed Rate Bowl field replaces the Club’s old field that had been used for numerous sporting activities over the years.

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CURRENT JACKPOT $13,500 PLAY. WIN. SUPPORT. Rolling along is the Fiesta Bowl’s Her Hidden Highness presented by Arizona Lottery progressive 50/50 raffle. The jackpot is at $13,500 and continues to grow each week, as the Queen of Hearts is still hidden. In addition to the jackpot, there are weekly payouts of 15 percent of the weekly sales.

There are various tickets levels to increase chances to win by visiting www.FiestaBowlRaffle.com to play, ante up to win and support Fiesta Bowl Charities. The first of its kind by an Arizona sports property, similar raffles across the county have seen multi-million dollar payouts.

Half of the entry pool benefits Fiesta Bowl Charities, which supports Arizona nonprofit organizations in the areas of youth, sports and education. Through its two annual bowl games in the Valley, the PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl and the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, as well as community events throughout the year, Fiesta Bowl Charities has given more than $21 million across the state of Arizona in the last 10 years, including $5.5 million in 2020-21 year alone.

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NEWS & NOTES Better to Give Than Receive Building on its foundation of charitable giving, including a record $5.5 million during the 2020-21 season, Fiesta Bowl Charities will open the 2021-22 grant cycle application period in April.

Fiesta Bowl Charities has donated $16 million in the last five years and $21 million in the last 10 years.

Arizona nonprofits can submit applications starting on Monday, April 12, through Monday, May 31, with a 5 p.m. sharp deadline.

Grant guidelines, information, applications and frequently asked questions can be found at FiestaBowl.org/community.

To help the nonprofit recipient make the most impact possible, Fiesta Bowl Charities offers funding in three levels: Spirit of the Fiesta Bowl Grant at $100,000, Touchdown Grant at $50,000 and the Field Goal Grant at $25,000. All proposals must provide services within the Fiesta Bowl’s core pillars of youth, sports and education and all applicants must be an Arizona 501©(3) organization. Additionally, 100 percent of the organization’s project must serve residents within the Arizona geographic boundaries.

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FIESTA BOWL TOP 50 When you have a storied history like the Fiesta Bowl, you celebrate.

Part of that celebration is the recognition of the memorable moments that have contributed to the Bowl’s legacy. The Fiesta Bowl announced a series of Top 50 Lists and All-Decade Teams. Take a look back at the key performances that vaulted the Fiesta Bowl into college football’s elite circles, and into the “The Greatest Bowl Games in College Football History.”

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NEWS & NOTES Yellow Jacket Rising The dawn of April for the Fiesta Bowl is when the organization’s volunteer officers transition into new roles.

Elevating from the Fiesta Bowl Yellow Jacket Committee to the Board of Directors is longtime volunteer Nick Smith, Executive Vice President at National PEO, who served as Yellow Jacket Committee Chair during the Fiesta Bowl’s 50th Anniversary season in 2020-21.

He joined the Yellow Jacket Committee in 2012 and that year was named Rookie of the Year.

Andy Western, a partner in the corporate group at Osborn Maledon, takes over as Yellow Jacket Committee Chair for the 2021-22 season. The former Yellow Jacket Committee Member of the Year will lead the fundraising and participation efforts of this year’s 132-person committee, who volunteer their time to work with sponsors, volunteers, staff and the board of directors to support the Fiesta Bowl and its numerous events throughout the year.

With a base of over 3,000 dedicated individuals, the Fiesta Bowl volunteers help to put on the PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl, Guaranteed Rate Bowl and the many community events that the Fiesta Bowl stages throughout the year.

Spruce up your car The Fiesta Bowl Organization and the Arizona Department of Transportation have created a custom Arizona license plate with Fiesta Bowl branding. Featuring the recognizable sunburst logo and Fiesta Bowl wordmark, the plates can be ordered at azmvdnow.az.gov. There are non-personalized and personalized (six-character limit) versions available, in addition to a disability Fiesta Bowl plate.

For every sale of the specialty plate, $17 of the proceeds support Fiesta Bowl Charities and programs across the state of Arizona that support youth, sports and education.

BUY NOW PG 8

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NEWSWORTHY

With parade canceled, Fiesta Bowl creates new event for sponsor PHOENIX BUSINESS JOURNAL

Boys & Girls Club branch in PHOENIX gets new field FOX10 PHOENIX

Firefighter Angel Foundation Receives Fiesta Bowl Charities Grant SIGNALS AZ

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Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Kindness Arizona kicks off today ARIZONA’S FAMILY 3TV

Fiesta Bowl Calls on Arizona Gamers For New Esports Event KJZZ

Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Charities Helps Make Music Possible for Upper Westside School UPPER WESTSIDER

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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT After a memorable season that celebrated the 50th Anniversary in Fiesta Bowl history, the Fiesta Bowl Organization selected its Volunteers of the Year award winners for 2020-21. In a year where volunteer opportunities were fewer than normal, when the dedicated base of volunteers were called upon, they once again delivered.

Glen Hawkins Volunteer of the Year – 50 Years of Fiesta Bowl Volunteers Named after one of the nine founders of the Fiesta Bowl, the Glenn Hawkins Volunteer of the Year Award is presented to all of our volunteers throughout our history. They are the backbone of the Fiesta Bowl and the number of lives they have impacted is immeasurable.

George Leonard Rookie of the Year – Jonathan Amato The George Leonard Rookie of the Year goes to a first or second year Yellow Jacket Committee Member who made an impact through volunteering and fundraising. Amato volunteered at every event he could and made an instant impression on the committee through his drive and professionalism. In his first year, he passed fundraising goals and set the bar for the Fiesta Futures.

Randi Knappenberger Ambassador of the Year – Wendy Manning The Randi Knappenberger Ambassador of the Year is given to a dedicated Ambassador who embodies the Fiesta Bowl spirit in her dedication to the organization. Manning was a great support leader who brought positivity and ingenuity to every meeting. As a contributor in planning a successful PNC Fiesta Bowl Par 3 Challenge presented by Chapman Automotive, she made sure that hosting slots were filled and rallied the ambassadors to go above and beyond to ensure a great event.

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Outstanding Fiesta Bowl Committee Member of the Year – Justin Naber The Outstanding Fiesta Bowl Committee Member of the Year is awarded to an active Yellow Jacket Committee member who served on multiple committees and provided support and dedication to several events.

Naber is an incredibly hard worker who went above and beyond in everything he tackled, whether it was managing volunteer and golfer safety at the PNC Fiesta Bowl Par 3 Challenge presented by Chapman Automotive or leading his sales team to hit their goals.

Fiesta Bowl Chair of the Year – Brad Smidt The Fiesta Bowl Chair of the Year Award goes to the event chair who provides significant leadership and exemplary effort. Smidt served as chair for the PNC Fiesta Bowl Par 3 Challenge presented by Chapman Automotive and, under his leadership, the event achieved arguably its greatest year. Smidt helped to sell out the event and integrate new protocols, formats and sponsors along the way.

Frank Snell Lifetime Achievement Award – Jim Kebert The Frank Snell Lifetime Achievement Award recipient is chosen by the Fiesta Bowl Board of Directors and Life Directors to honor a member of the Fiesta Bowl family who has served the organization for 12-plus years.

A Yellow Jacket Committee Member since 1999, Kebert served in numerous roles – instrumental as a Game Operations Committee member, served as a VIP host for multiple years and acted as Assistant Sales Commissioner last year, helping the Committee reach its goal of $3.4 million in fundraising. In 2019, he led the production team on the Game Operations Committee and helped pull off two Bowl games in 24 hours. Kebert is also very hands on in all aspects of the Committee, volunteers for community outreach events, team arrivals, event shifts and served as a Futures mentor to help the next generation of Yellow Jackets.

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