AZ Big Media is sitting down with a member of the Fiesta Bowl family every Friday to shine a light on the event itself but also all of the ways that the organization drives economic growth and champions charitable causes, inspiring pride in all Arizonans during and outside of college football Bowl Season. Today we sit down with our friend Ryan Delaney, Fiesta Bowl Yellow Jacket committee member and senior vice president at Sunflower Bank.
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When and why did you begin volunteering for the Fiesta Bowl?
I began volunteering for the Fiesta Bowl in 2020. There were several reasons that I chose to get involved. I’ve often said that I learned more about life and leadership through playing quarterback in high school than I did through my undergraduate experience and MBA combined. I believe there is so much good that can come through sports. To be able to volunteer and to use football as vehicle for charity is an incredible opportunity and one that I couldn’t pass up. Whether through our charitable grant process, building parks, Wishes for Teachers or any number of other great causes, being a part of the Fiesta Sports Foundation has been very rewarding. Being part of the Yellow Jacket Committee is the perfect marriage between my passions for college football and giving back to the community.
Tell us about your role this year, and what are your general goals with the position?
I chaired our recent PNC Fiesta Bowl Par 3 Challenge presented by Chapman Automotive. The event spans three days in which we host six golf rounds that were all sold out. My goals for this year were to sell out the tournament, enhance our golfer gifts, maintain the fun environment that has existed at the event for years and, most importantly, to break the record for the most charitable funds raised through the event. We’ve always had great gifts for our golfers; however, this year we wanted to take things up a notch and I believe we accomplished that. I can’t take credit for the fun environment that the event elicits – that has been the case for years, but I think it’s safe to say that was a success. Finally, through the hard work of all our staff and volunteers in addition to the support and generosity of our participants, we were able to raise a record amount of funds for charity.
What has been your favorite Fiesta Bowl game to date as a spectator and why?
My favorite Fiesta Bowl game ever was the 1989 game when Notre Dame beat West Virigina to win the national championship. My favorite Fiesta Bowl game since joining the Committee was the 2022 CFP Semifinal between Michigan and TCU. I was heavily involved in hosting TCU while they were here and I enjoyed getting to know their coaches and support staff. It was one of the most exciting football games that I can recall and it propelled TCU to a national championship game birth.
Any memorable moments while working the Fiesta Bowl game itself?
When I’m wearing my banker hat, I’m fortunate to work with a lot of great clients who share my passion for sports. As a result, I typically “work” the game by hosting bank clients in our suite. When I’m with clients, I try to put my rooting interests aside in favor of being a good host. If you asked anyone who has joined me in our suite, I’m sure they could share a few instances where I failed miserably, and my rooting interests were on full display.
Given it is the holiday season – the time when we all want to give back as much as possible – please share an example of how the Fiesta Bowl helped make spirits merrier and brighter this year?
The players in our games are idolized by many children throughout the community. It’s been powerful to see the impact of our community outreach events. One specific example was an event at Main Event in which members of the Oklahoma State football team played games with children who have muscular dystrophy. Seeing the hope and spirit that those types of events create is really gratifying and I hope it brightens their holiday season.
Tell us something interesting about you outside of work and your Fiesta Bowl role?
I sit on the Board of Directors for one of the Fiesta Sports Foundation’s past grant recipients, Make-A-Wish, and I’m a member of the Phoenix 20-30 Club which also raises significant funds for youth in Arizona. The work that we do together fills my bucket and creates a sense of purpose, but I’ve also been very fortunate to meet some incredible people and form lifelong friendships in the process.
