OPENING KICKOFF Happy New Year! It’s nice to say that after 2020. I wish everyone a happy, healthy year ahead. When we look back 12 months ago, none of us could have predicted what was to come. Challenges came our way, even threatening our PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl right up until the kickoff. All of the adjustments, contingency planning and preparation paid off and our 50th Anniversary Fiesta Bowl is now in the history books. I am so proud of our staff, Board of Directors, Yellow Jacket Committee, and volunteers for pushing through and executing a memorable experience for our teams, families, partners and guests.
FIESTA BOWL ORGANIZATION NEWSLETTER
This is not just about the game on January 2. We all were forced to make sacrifices, create multiple plans and remain flexible at a heightened level ever since March. It is during difficult times when the character of people and organizations are truly revealed. As I look back on the year, there is so much that makes me proud. Now is also the time we set new goals and identify our gameplan for community impact over the next 12 months. Challenges will continue in 2021, but we know that enhancing the lives of Arizonans will remain a priority. I need to give a special thank you to our partners. You have been amazing and exemplified the true meaning of partnership. Thank you for standing by our side through such difficult times. I appreciate your flexibility, willingness to work toward solutions and supporting the Fiesta Bowl and our community. Here’s to a New Year!
VOLUME 15
Mike Nealy Executive Director
NEWS & NOTES Iowa State is Golden with 50th Anniversary PlayStation Fiesta Bowl Victory The 50th Anniversary of the Fiesta Bowl was indeed historic. In a matchup that was the first-ever between No. 25 Oregon and No. 10 Iowa State, the Cyclones hit the Fiesta Bowl field for the first time in school history after their most successful regular season ever. To add some more excitement, both starting quarterbacks were Arizona high school stars – the first time in PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl history that both starting quarterbacks were Arizona natives. The Cyclones made the most of playing in the biggest game in program history, its first-ever New Year’s Six Bowl, defeating the Ducks 34-17 behind solid play on both sides of the ball. Gilbert Perry High School alumni and Offensive Player of the Game Brock Purdy went 20-of-29 passing for 156 yards and a touchdown, with 39 rushing yards and another score. Star running back Breece Hall carried the ball 34 times (one short of the Bowl record) for 136 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, linebacker Mike Rose picked off his fifth ball of the season while fellow linebacker O’Rien Vance racked up four tackles, one for loss and recovered two fumbles en route to Defensive Player of the Game honors.
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Play for Years at Hance Park As part of the Fiesta Bowl’s celebration of its 50th Anniversary, the organization jumped into the Margaret T. Hance Park revitalization project with the 20,000-square-foot Fiesta Bowl PLAY at Hance Park playground that opened on December 15. This is the centerpiece of the park renovation’s opening phase and was made possible thanks to a $2 million legacy gift from the Fiesta Bowl and supporting partners Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, BHHS Legacy Foundation and Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority (AZ-STA). Fiesta Bowl PLAY features a climbing wall, a separate net climbing structure, a water mist play feature and a sand play area positioned under a shade canopy. Its other unique amenities include three animal-themed play structures – a Kit Fox, Black-Tailed Jackrabbit and Great-Horned Owl. The animal play structures are made of 95 percent recycled plastic lumber and are GreenCircle Certified. The Hance Park Partner Coalition is led by the Phoenix Community Alliance (PCA), Hance Park Conservancy and City of Phoenix.
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GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY To celebrate its storied history that began with a vision from nine community leaders in 1971, the Fiesta Bowl has unveiled a special logo and other initiatives to commemorate its 50th Anniversary season.
The logo includes the Bowl’s trademark sunburst and script, along with a large 50 and five “laces” on a football, to signify the five decades the Fiesta Bowl has been in existence. It will be widely seen as the 50-yard marker on the field during the 50th playing of the PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl on January 2, 2021.
Here is a snapshot of some activities the Fiesta Bowl will do to commemorate its 50th Anniversary: • Top 50 Lists, including Players/Coaches, Plays/Moments, Facts, All-Decade Teams • Dedication of Fiesta Bowl Play at Hance Park as part of Hance Park revitalization project • Specific merchandise with Fiesta Bowl 50th Anniversary branding • 50-year Season Ticket Member appreciation event at Ziegler Fiesta Bowl Museum • Fiesta Bowl Football Focus Podcast episodes, including guests Urban Meyer, Jared Zabransky, Mack Brown, 2003 Fiesta Bowl players from Ohio State & Miami and more • Volunteer Appreciation Party at Sun Devil Stadium for volunteers from all 50 years • Fiesta Bowl-branded license plate for sale through AZDOT • Editorial pieces from local media outlets to highlight the Fiesta Bowl’s historic moments
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NEWS & NOTES Play. Win. Support. Q
Rolling along is the Fiesta Bowl’s Her Hidden Highness presented by Arizona Lottery progressive 50/50 raffle. The jackpot is over $9,000 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 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 $16.5 million across the state of Arizona in the last nine years, including $4 million in 2019-20 year alone. PLAY TODAY
Let Him Eat Cake Among the many highlights of the 50th Anniversary of the PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl was the ESPN broadcast team calling the game. Hall of Fame broadcaster Mike Golic, Sr. served as color analyst for the game, his last assignment with ESPN after a 25-year career. The Fiesta Bowl sent a surprise to the booth, delivered by none other than the Fiesta Bowl mascot Spirit. WATCH VIDEO
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YOUR WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED November was highlighted by the delivery of golden apples for 200 teachers for the fifth annual Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program. In a Virtual Draft Day format, 200 K-12 public and charter school teachers learned their wishes were granted, each receiving a $2,500 classroom grant. The total of $500,000 in grant awards boosts the five-year total to $3.7 Million in direct donations to Arizona’s classrooms. Visit WishesForTeachers.org to view the wishes, which included technology, classroom equipment, field trips, creating libraries and more. Desert Financial Credit Union was founded by 15 Arizona educators with $78.75 in 1939 and has been an active supporter in the Wishes for Teachers program for several years. Click here to watch the recap video.
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NEWS & NOTES Sun Shines on New Learning Center The Fiesta Bowl Organization focuses its efforts in the areas of youth, sports and education, and those pillars were enhanced with the unveiling of the Fiesta Bowl’s second learning center in Arizona on December 9. In partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, the Fiesta Bowl built a new area at Sunshine Acres in Mesa to provide a place where the children served by the organization can get necessary additional support from teachers and enjoy new extracurricular learning activities. Sunshine Acres provides a loving, wholesome home for children who are separated from their parents and helps them establish long-term relationships with stable parental figures, preparing them for success in adult life. WATCH VIDEO
Operation Santa Delivers for Military Families Some extra holiday cheer was delivered to families of deployed servicemen, when a shopping spree at DICK’S Sporting Goods became a reality for Arizona families. Through the generosity of DICK’S, USAA, Fighter Country Foundation and Fiesta Bowl Charities, families drove through the Arrowhead Town Centre to receive a gift bags with sporting goods and apparel for their sports endeavors. This is the fifth season of joy for Operation Santa at the Fiesta Bowl. WATCH VIDEO
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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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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Bryce Hancock First Year as Volunteer: 2008
hospitality. The economic impact of having the games in the Phoenix area has continued to grow, but the specific giving of millions of dollars back to teachers and other deserving organizations in the Valley of the Sun has made serving all that more meaningful.
First Year as Yellow Jacket Committee Member: 2008 First Year as Board of Directors Member: 2019 Favorite Fiesta Bowl Game: Boise State vs. Oklahoma in 2007. Most Memorable Moment: Meeting Colt McCoy. He was such a humble person and then led his team to victory vs. Ohio State in 2009. My first son, Colt, was born in 2010. Why I Serve the Fiesta Bowl: I originally got involved as a Yellow Jacket to be a part of the football games and events. Providing teams and families with world class hospitality to help ensure that their bowl game experience was second to none. However, as the Fiesta Bowl has continued to grow and refine its mission, the rewards far exceed the games and PG 8
Favorite Job: All the ones I’ve been able to be a part of have been great. If I had to choose one, I’d go with Team Liaison. Getting to see and help guide the interaction of all the different facets (team, hotel, transportation, police, game operations, VIP, media, etc.) of game week is a great experience and one that is easy to get invested in! Interesting fact: Met my wife, Crystal, while doing a summer internship at the FBI San Diego office back in 1995. Also, lived and worked in Sydney, Australia in 2004-05. If that’s not exciting enough, I can wiggle my ears and nostrils.
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NEWSWORTHY
PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl honors tradition by limiting fans at State Farm Stadium ARIZONA REPUBLIC
PHS teacher gets money for archery equipment PAYSON ROUNDUP
Paul & Sean’s Fiesta Bowl bet pays off for Phoenix Children’s Hospital ARIZONA’S FAMILY
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Iowa State leaps into NCAA spotlight with Fiesta Bowl win DES MOINES REGISTER
$8.6M mega playground opens in downtown Phoenix’s Hance Park ARIZONA REPUBLIC
PlayStation® Characters
Fill Stands at Fiesta Bowl
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