In the weeks leading up to the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl – which will serve as the College Football Playoff Semifinal and take place at State Farm Stadium on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 – AZ Big Media is sitting down every Friday with a member of the Fiesta Sports Foundation family to shine a light on the event itself and also all the ways that the Foundation drives economic growth, delivers engaging experiences and champions charitable causes, inspiring pride in all Arizonans during and outside of college football Bowl Season. Today we sit down with Pauline Argeros, who serves as an active ambassador for the Fiesta Sports Foundation.
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Tell us about your journey with the Fiesta Sports Foundation?
Originally from Connecticut, I have had a passion for service since my fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Goalby, positively impacted my life because of how she treated our class. Kindness and compassion go a long way.
Since moving to the Phoenix area in 1992, I have been a part of numerous leadership and volunteer organizations, such as PTO president, secretary of my children’s school and an administrator for the Arizona High School Hockey Board. In 2017, I joined the Fiesta Sports Foundation family and fully immersed myself in the organization.
I started out as an associate ambassador for the Fiesta Sports Foundation, which is a role of sitting back and figuring out if the organization is a good match and vice versa. Over the years, I also served as Membership Chair, Chair Elect (also Lady’s Day Chair), and chaired family and children’s day. I also served in a leadership role during COVID-19 and despite the restrictions, a suggestion to do breakout groups to keep the volunteers together was adopted for those who were comfortable doing so. What began four years ago still continues today with luncheons, happy hours and breakfasts. And then, most recently, I completed a term as the Ambassador Chair as well.
What has been your favorite Fiesta Bowl game to date as a spectator and why?
While I worked it – so more than a spectator – the TCU/Michigan game stands out as it marked my term as the Ambassadors Chair as well. In the 2022-23 Fiesta Bowl, TCU was the underdog that no one expected to win but beat Michigan 51-45 in such an exciting and high-scoring CFP Semifinal. The game was a back-and-forth battle, with TCU’s defense making key plays to score two touchdowns early on and a 76-yard touchdown reception by Quentin Johnston later to seal the victory. The win advanced TCU to the national championship game and was the highest-scoring Fiesta Bowl in history.
Any memorable moments while working the Fiesta Bowl game itself?
I really loved my time working the VIP check-in. VIP, to us, could be a really impactful donor or supporter, and we want to really show them something different than what they might see on TV at home. When you walk a person down to the field and they step on it for the first time, feeling totally immersed in the moment, it is awe-inspiring. They turn into kids again, in the best possible way. It is also pretty special when a team wins and you are helping them escape to accept their trophy, the culmination of their life’s work to that date. You are a part of someone’s bucket list.
The Fiesta Sports Foundation’s slogan is “Our Season Never Ends.” Share one example of how the Foundation is helping the community outside of the Bowl games themselves?
I am honored that for the fourth year I sat on the grants committee that reviewing and evaluated the grants applications, then determining which nonprofit organizations receive funding. Continuing its legacy of delivering meaningful community impact across the state of Arizona, Fiesta Sports Foundation provided grants to 16 Arizona nonprofit organizations for the 2025-26 season. By virtue of the funding, programs that will be implemented include providing safe shelter and services for nearly 700 individuals experiencing homelessness, granting resources for people and families living with disabilities, unlocking the life-changing power of sports for kids regardless of social or economic circumstance and supplying clothing and other essentials to children in foster care and kinship care.
A full list of our 2025-26 Fiesta Sports Foundation grant recipients and how those organizations will utilize the funding is here.
