El Paso proclaims Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Week as city readies bowl-day festivities
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Summary
The El Paso City Council on Dec. 16 proclaimed the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Week and heard Sun Bowl Association Director Bernie Olivas emphasize the event’s national exposure and economic impact, including a claim the game brings up to $25 million to the region in a single week.
The El Paso City Council proclaimed the week of Dec. 28 as Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Week during its Dec. 16 meeting, recognizing the long-running bowl game’s role in promoting the city and drawing visitors.
Representative Nino read the proclamation, noting the Sun Bowl Association’s 92-year history and the game’s decades of national television exposure. "For 57 consecutive years, CBS ... sings the praises of our city nationwide," the proclamation said.
Bernie Olivas, executive director of the Sun Bowl Association, told the council the event serves three main purposes: providing a quality event for residents, showcasing El Paso nationally and producing local economic activity. "Up to $25,000,000 in one week" is generated by visitors who stay in hotels, eat in restaurants and shop locally, Olivas said.
Caroline Mann, identified in the record as this year’s Sun Queen, and other members of the Sun Bowl court thanked the council for the recognition and promoted attendance at the Dec. 31 game featuring Arizona State and Duke.
The proclamation cited event sponsors and volunteers as essential to the bowl’s operations; Olivas said the association runs year-round programming with seven full-time employees and relies on roughly 700 volunteers to stage its events.
Council members praised the Sun Bowl’s long-standing role in raising El Paso’s profile and creating tourism-related economic activity.
The Sun Bowl proclamation was presented as part of the mayor’s proclamations segment of the meeting and required no council action beyond recognition.
