Fiesta Bowl Charities Unveils Community Resource Room at Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Dec. 11, 2024) – Fiesta Bowl Charities, in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, celebrated the unveiling of the Community Resource Room refresh at Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters (YBBBS) in Prescott.

The sixth Community Resource Room project filled a significant need for YBBBS, which was founded in 1971 – the same year as the Fiesta Bowl Organization – and serves more than 300 youth across 20 communities and 65 schools throughout Yavapai County and Sedona.

Fiesta Bowl Charities and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona renovated a former staff area at the YBBBS Prescott facility into the newly-named Fiesta Bowl Charities Community Resource Room. The new space will create a safe, welcoming and engaging environment for matches between Bigs and Littles to meet, learn and grow together.

“Creating a new Community Resource Room gives a new start for Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters that will set a positive tone in relationships that can change the course of people’s lives,” said Fiesta Bowl Chief of Staff and Vice President of Community Investment Kristina Chumpol. “With the help of our great partner Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, we are supporting Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters to make an incredible impact for hundreds of youth across Yavapai County. This upgraded space will be a game-changer and allow for greater mentorship and collaboration for everyone in the community.”

The new Community Resource Room is essential given the increasing number of Littles and Bigs in YBBBS’ service areas. The room will help foster thriving relationships by facilitating the critical initial matchmaker meetings that bring together Littles, their families and potential Bigs. It will also serve as a host location for “Big Connection” meetings, which engage community members to learn about YBBBS and encourage opportunities to become a Big or donor.

“We are deeply thankful to Fiesta Bowl Charities and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona for their generous support of Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters and the youth we serve,” said Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters Executive Director Kristen Kerns. “This new space will provide a safe and welcoming place for our matches to connect while enabling us to grow our programs by introducing group mentoring opportunities.”

The renovated space will serve approximately 500 people annually and allows YBBBS to continue to strengthen connections within its community and support the growth of its mentorship programs, trainings and workshops.

“AZ Blue is thrilled to partner with Fiesta Bowl Charities to refresh the Community Resource Room in Yavapai,” said Paul Penzone, Chief Community Relations Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. “This initiative underscores our commitment to enhancing the lives of Arizonans by providing essential resources and support to the youth in our community.”

Fiesta Bowl Charities and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona partnered to put in dry wall and windows to enclose the open-concept room for more privacy, while installing new doors, cabinets and hardwood floor. YBBBS received new training tables, chairs, rugs, bookshelves and an electronics makeover to furnish their new space.

The YBBBS community will enjoy new laptops and iPads, a projector, TV, 3D printer and virtual reality and video game devices in addition to art supplies, books and board games.

Lining the walls are news clips highlighting the rich history of YBBBS, reminding everyone who steps into the Fiesta Bowl Charities Community Resource Room of the impact YBBBS has made over the last five decades, while looking ahead to the future.

This project marks the sixth Community Resource Room renovation between Fiesta Bowl Charities and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, who also created the Empowering Diversity Scholarship and set a Guinness World Record for the largest game of Freeze Tag.

ABOUT THE FIESTA BOWL ORGANIZATION

Since 1971, the Fiesta Bowl is a world-class community organization that executes innovative experiences, drives economic growth and champions charitable causes, inspiring pride in all Arizonans during and outside of college football bowl season. As a nonprofit organization, it is driven by its vision for the importance of community outreach and service. Through the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Rate Bowl and its year-round events, such as the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe, corporate partnerships and numerous community events throughout the year, the organization provides charitable giving to enhance Arizona nonprofit organizations that serve communities through youth, sports and education.

ABOUT BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ARIZONA

Blue Cross ® Blue Shield ® of Arizona (AZ Blue) is committed to helping Arizonans get healthier faster and stay healthier longer. With a mission to inspire health and make it easy, AZ Blue offers health insurance and related services to more than 2 million customers. AZ Blue, a non-profit company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The company and its subsidiaries employ more than 3,200 people in its Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson offices. To learn more, visit azblue.com or connect with us on social media: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

ABOUT YAVAPAI BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS

For more than 53 years, Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every young person is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. We make meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and youth (“Littles”), ages 6 through 24. Learn more about YBBBS and how you can get involved at azbigs.org.