SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Jan. 30, 2026) – Highlighting the 10th anniversary celebration of the Palo Verde Fiesta Sports Foundation Wishes for Teachers program, Fiesta Sports Foundation awarded $150,000 in school wishes to three Arizona Title 1 schools, transforming critical learning spaces to better serve students and educators across the state.
In partnership with Amazon and the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation, Fiesta Sports Foundation granted a $50,000 wish to three schools selected from more than 70 applications statewide. The school wishes are a new component to the Palo Verde Fiesta Sports Foundation Wishes for Teachers program, which this year provided classroom grants to 540 Arizona educators through a record $1.5 million investment.
The three schools that received funding for renovations:
- Arizona Desert Elementary School (Tolleson) – STEM Lab
- Washington Elementary School (Phoenix) – School Library
- Challenger Middle School (Tucson) – Multipurpose Room and Science Lab
“The school wishes initiative demonstrates our commitment to serving entire school communities and transforming learning environments as needs evolve,” said Kristina Chumpol, Chief Impact Officer and Chief of Staff at Fiesta Sports Foundation. “Our Wishes for Teachers program supports individual educators with classroom grants, and these larger school wishes help us to impact thousands more students by revamping critical spaces to serve as hubs for learning, creativity and growth for years to come.”
Arizona Desert Elementary School, Washington Elementary School and Challenger Middle School are all Title 1 schools that serve diverse communities across Arizona. The room renovations were designed to address specific needs identified by each school, providing modern resources and dedicated spaces for specialized programming.
“Amazon is proud to support Fiesta Sports Foundation in creating meaningful opportunities for Arizona students,” said Vickie Yakunin, Head of Community Affairs for Arizona and Texas at Amazon. “Investing in educational infrastructure like STEM labs helps equip students with the tools and skills they need to innovate and succeed. We’re honored to partner with Fiesta Sports Foundation to make a lasting impact in the communities we share.”
The school wishes program reflects Fiesta Sports Foundation’s mission to serve Arizona communities in the areas of youth, sports and education. The Foundation has now donated more than $9.7 million to Arizona classrooms over the 10 years of the Wishes for Teachers program, benefitting more than 3,100 teachers and impacting hundreds of thousands of students.
Ribbon cutting ceremonies for all three school renovations took place in January 2026, officially opening the new spaces for students and educators and adding to the game week festivities for the 2025-26 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
“We’re proud to stand alongside partners like Fiesta Sports Foundation and Amazon to invest in Arizona schools,” said CFP Foundation Executive Director Britton Banowsky. “When we come together to support schools and the educators who power them, we’re not just improving spaces — we’re expanding opportunities for students for years to come in our CFP Bowl communities.”
ABOUT FIESTA SPORTS FOUNDATION
Since its inception in 1971, the Fiesta Sports Foundation 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.
ABOUT THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FOUNDATION
The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation is the 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving as the community engagement arm of the College Football Playoff and works in partnership with institutions of higher education, sports organizations, corporations and non-profits to support educators and improve student outcomes. The purpose of the CFP Foundation lies in supporting PK-12 education by elevating the teaching profession.
ABOUT AMAZON
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon.
