FIESTA’S BEST FIE STA B OWL C HA R I T I E S NEWSL ETTER
VOLUME 6
F I E S TA B O W L C H A R I T I E S
NEWSLETTER | VOLUME 6
DESERT FINANCIAL FIESTA BOWL
KINDNESS ARIZONA
Fiesta Bowl Charities and Desert Financial Credit Union teamed up and supported communities across the state with Kindness Arizona, a community impact project following the unfortunate postponement of the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Parade. Kindness Arizona was a five-day caravan tour that made 25 stops throughout the state in March. The journey included random acts of kindness, teacher lounge renovations and so much more through Metro Phoenix, Prescott, Tucson, and Flagstaff. Each day, the caravan stopped in a different city to donate equipment, supplies, and funds to communities. Donations included 250 books to Read On Tucson, breakfast sandwiches to volunteers at a COVID-19 vaccine pod, 400 classroom kits to teachers, and 2,200 cookies to the Phoenix Police and Fire Departments. Gift cards were handed out at gas stations to pay for a gas refill and extra tips were given to restaurant servers.
Check out the video to see even more of the fun we had while serving Arizona communities
CLICK FOR HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
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PG 3
SPIRIT’S BIRTHDAY! Happy Birthday to Fiesta Bowl’s mascot, Spirit! Spirit and a dozen of his mascot friends from all across the state came together at the Jerry Colangelo Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley for a flag football tournament on September 24, 2021. The celebration included over 120 children who participated in flag football, dancing, and eating lots of birthday cake.
What an amazing event for our kids! Getting the chance to celebrate Spirit’s birthday with Fiesta Bowl staff and volunteers - and some of Sprit’s closest Mascot friends - was so much fun. What a party and incredible celebration... Thank you, Fiesta Bowl team, for an experience our kids will never forget!” - Sam Fowler, Vice President of Development & Strategy, Boys & Girls Club of the Valley
Everyone had a blast, being entertained by The Be Kind People Project’s performance, a halftime show from Grand Canyon University’s Spirit Programs and mascots dueling it out on the football field. A donation was granted to the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley to support all they do for Arizona youth and a generous sports equipment donation was also given, courtesy of Dick’s Sporting Goods. CLICK FOR HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
PG 4
F I E S TA B O W L C H A R I T I E S
NEWSLETTER | VOLUME 6
wishes for teachers DESERT FINANCIAL FIESTA BOWL CHARITIES
The sixth annual Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program is granting 400 Arizona teachers their classroom wish. The educators will be randomly selected and announced during the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day presented by SRP in early November. These grants can be used for a classroom makeover, new technology, sports equipment, or new school programs.
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Previous wishes include special education sensory supplies, robotics equipment, a field trip to perform in New York City’s Carnegie Hall, and new technology for the classroom. Teachers are true community heroes, and Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program honors, supports, and celebrates our teachers.
PG 5
Fiesta Bowl Charities, along with partners Salt River Project (SRP) and KABOOM!, built a new, innovative 2,000 square-foot playground at A New Leaf in Mesa. The state-of-the-art playground will serve hundreds of children that attend A New Leaf’s East Valley After School Program (EVASP). This is the 10th location for a Fiesta Bowl Charities playground legacy project over the last five years.
As a not-for-profit, community utility, SRP strives to help build strong communities and that starts with our children. We’re honored to join Fiesta Bowl Charities in supporting A New Leaf with a new playground that will provide joy to kids and lend a hand to our neighbors when it is needed most.
This new equipment is more than a playground for kids in our after-school program. We’ve created a safe space which promotes creative expression and character development through the power of play. This playground wouldn’t be possible without the collaboration and generosity of SRP, Fiesta Bowl Charities and KABOOM!
Andrea Moreno, Manager of SRP Community Stewardship
Michael Hughes A New Leaf CEO
CLICK FOR HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
F I E S TA B O W L C H A R I T I E S
NEWSLETTER | VOLUME 6
EMPOWERING DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTED BY BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ARIZONA AND FIESTA BOWL The Empowering Diversity Scholarship, presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and Fiesta Bowl, provides educational opportunities for Arizona minority residents. Through this initiative 30 individuals were selected to receive assistance in obtaining their GED or attending an Arizona post-secondary institution. The Empowering Diversity Scholarship was created to support Arizona minorities in achieving their educational and career-driven goals.
Recipient Highlight POST-SECONDARY RECIPIENT Carl Douglas
GED RECIPIENT Cristina Hernandez
SCHOOL Arizona State University MAJOR Community Advocacy & Social Policy
CAREER GOALS Obtain higher education & become a teacher’s assistant
Receiving this scholarship will allow me to take additional courses that focus on information and the background of immigration in our nation. These courses will enable me to learn and possibly create policy that will lead to positive impact.
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This scholarship will be an opportunity for me to make my dreams a reality. Above all, it will grant me the independence I need to achieve all my goals…I can begin down my own educational path
PG 7
A New Leaf Ability360
FIESTA BOWL CHARITIES
GRANT CYCLE
Accept The Challenge, Inc. Arizona Burn Foundation
Arizona Council on Economic Education Assistance League of Phoenix
Barrow Neurological Foundation Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale
Through the 2021-2022 Grant Cycle, Fiesta Bowl Charities selected 51 non-profits to receive funding. All non-profit organizations selected strive to enhance their communities through youth, sports, and education.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sun Corridor Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Colorado River Camp Catanese Foundation Children's Museum Tucson Civitan Foundation
Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona
Barrow Neurological Foundation “We are grateful to the Fiesta Bowl for this grant. The telemedicine program connects Certified Athletic Trainers to a Barrow neurologist who can evaluate students for a possible head injury in a timely manner through a secure, online portal. We are able to provide this specialized care with your support.”
Creighton Community Foundation, Inc.
- Dr. Glynnis Zieman, Neurologist, Barrow Concussion and Brain Injury Center
Junior Golf Association of Arizona
Down Syndrome Network Friendly House
Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library Future for KIDS
Gabriel's Angels
Heart for the City HopeKids
Kyrene Foundation
The Z Kick for Life Foundation
Phoenix Children’s Hospital “Thank you, Fiesta Bowl for all you do for Phoenix Children’s. I couldn’t be with you in person, but you made it possible for me to be with you guys. You are game changers. Families at the hospital are going to love these robots.”
Legacy Cares Inc.
Love Muziq Operation 13:2 Mikey's League, Inc.
Paladin Sports Outreach
Phoenix Children's Hospital Foundation
– Isaiah, Patient Ambassador
Phoenix Rising FC Youth Soccer
Special Olympics Arizona: “The support from the Fiesta Bowl for our esports initiatives will empower our athletes and their peers in schools and community-based programs to compete with their friends from across the state in a fun, safe environment. With the rapid popularity of competitive esports, our athletes can be included with their peers, fighting social isolation and enhancing competitive opportunities for athletes of all ages.”
Positive Coaching Alliance
– Jamie Heckerman, President & CEO, Special Olympics Arizona
Playworks
Ryan House
Save the Family Foundation of Arizona Science of Sport
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Southwest Human Development Special Olympics Arizona
Steven M. Gootter Foundation Lily's Pad
The Be Kind People Project The First Tee of Phoenix The Opportunity Tree Treasure House
LEARN MORE HERE
National Football Foundation Valley of the Sun Chapter Western School of Science and Technology YMCA of Southern Arizona
PG 8
F I E S TA B O W L C H A R I T I E S
NEWSLETTER | VOLUME 6
By the numbers
51
2021-22 season
arizona nonprofits
RECEIVED A FIESTA BOWL CHARITIES GRANT
407,000+
258,600+
BENEFITTED FROM SPORTS PROGRAMMING
346,950+
BENEFITTED FROM EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING
ARIZONA YOUTH
SUPPORTED
BOOKS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS ARIZONA
6,200+
570,000+ ARIZONANS IMPACTED
Volunteer Opportunities Fiesta Bowl Charities is excited to be back out in the community through volunteering. If your organization has any upcoming volunteer opportunities, please reach out to charities@fiestabowl.org. We would love to volunteer at your next charitable event!
F I E S TA B O W L . O R G
PG 9
Teacher Feature:
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF BIG DAY! TEACHER Micaela Saucedo
SCHOOL Madison No.1 Middle
SUBJECT Band, Guitar, & Choir
On September 14, Fiesta Bowl Charities honored Micaela Saucedo as part of the College Football Playoff Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers “Big Day”. This is Miss Saucedo’s third year as the Band, Guitar, & Choir teacher at Madison No. 1 Middle School in Phoenix. She was awarded a $1,000 DonorsChoose gift card to support her classroom and students, which she plans to use for new instruments.
“I was so in shock…I heard the big boom of confetti and was so surprised. Seeing the kids there made me tear up. It’s been such a blessing to receive this and I can’t even explain how much this means to me.”
F I E S TA B O W L C H A R I T I E S
NEWSLETTER | VOLUME 6
PATH TO THE SUMMIT BACKPACKS The inaugural Fiesta Bowl Path to the Summit program was hosted in May, as a part of Fiesta Bowl’s annual Spring Summit to promote diversity for college athletics leaders and coaches. The event featured assistant football coaches and athletic administrators from underrepresented groups and invited them to participate in networking, interactive Q&A sessions and a community service project. Path to the Summit participants were able to give back to the Arizona community by stuffing backpacks in partnership with Back to School Clothing Drive. The participants were split into two teams to create a friendly competition of who could fill 500 backpacks with school supplies the fastest. They raced to stuff the backpacks with hygiene items, notebooks, rulers and other school supplies. All 1,000 backpacks were sent out to atrisk youth in the Fall.
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PG 11
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