While the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl ranks among the top college bowl games and is one of Arizona’s main winter attractions, it is much more than just a football game. It is the culmination of more than two months of colorful and exciting community events held throughout Arizona.

The Fiesta Bowl, now in its 31^st year, regularly draws more than 75,000 cheering football fans to Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium each New Year’s Day. But the Fiesta Bowl Festival, a collection of 51 events, fills the weeks leading up to the big game and attracts more than a million spectators, participants and special guests to Arizona.

From the Bank One Fiesta Bowl Basketball Classic to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Fiesta Bowl National Band Championship to the Fiesta Bowl Million Dollar Hole-in-One, hardly a day in November and December goes by without at least one fun Fiesta Bowl event.

Festival events appeal to a wide range of tastes, but as varied as they are, they have three things in common.

• They all benefit local charities and higher education raising more than $200,000 annually for local causes, and more than $202 million over the past 30 years for grants to national education institutions.
• They are organized and run by dedicated volunteers. More than 2,900 Arizona residents pitch in to help market, promote and stage the Fiesta Bowl events.
• They all have generous sponsors, with more than 50 local and national companies and institutions donating funding and expertise for the events.

"APS has sponsored Fiesta Bowl events since the game’s beginning in 1971,"says Charlie Thompson, APS’ manager of Community Relations. "Among the events APS is proud to be involved with this year are the APS Fiesta Bowl Pre-Game Party, the Fort McDowell Fiesta Bowl Parade, and the Fry’s Barbecue Pigskin Cook-Off. They all are a lot of fun and provide real benefits to the community."

For more information on the Fiesta Bowl and a complete list of events for the Festival, visit www.tostitosfiestabowl.com. 

December 21, 2001