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DONATION MADE BY LOCAL GAMER/VETERAN October 2, 2023

EL PASO, Texas – The Sun Bowl Association announced on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, that Bone Enterprise LLC and the CEO Robert Jeskey has donated $13,000 to the Association for two different initiatives.

Jeskey, a Veteran of the U.S. Army, contributed the money to help cover the cost to restore a WWII military jeep ($6,000), while the also wanting to help allocate money for the Gold Star Gaming teams to attend and enjoy a wonderful experience at the 90th Annual Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Game.

“Given my longstanding collaboration with Mr. Joe Daubach, spanning over a decade, particularly in areas like parade organization, float construction and game day preparations, I look forward to this donation helping to further enhance the Sun Bowl Association’s endeavors, especially those focused on our honored veterans,” Jeskey said.

The WWII military Jeep was donated to the Sun Bowl Association to pull the Veterans Float, which is built by the SBA Float Building Committee. Sergio Lewis, President of the Sergio Lewis Body Shop, is a tremendous supporter of veterans and has a son who is a Purple Heart recipient, decided to join in on this initiative and partnership.

“It’s a pleasure and we’re honored to be part of this initiative and partnership,” Lewis said. “Our son is a Purple Heart Recipient and our sincerest thoughts go out to the Gold Star families in our Community, State & Country.”

“It is our hope that the Jeep will be fully functional in time to pull the float in the 2023 Glasheen, Valles and Inderman Injury Lawyers Sun Bowl Parade,” said Sun Bowl Association Executive Director Bernie Olivas. “Our Special Events Director, Joe Daubach and his crew are hard at work to get things ready for the annual Thanksgiving tradition.”

Jeskey donated $7,000 to make sure that kids from the Gold Star Gamers Youth Experience receive an unparalleled Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl experience. Jeskey and the Gold Star Gamers vision is for these funds to provide loge box seating, t-shirts, hats and other game-related concessions.

Jeskey is asking the community to help by chipping in to match the $7,000 he donated for the Gold Star Gamers Sun Bowl experience.

“While the $7,000 I donated might not cover the entire cost of the loge boxes and amenities, my hope is that the community could join us in this initiative,” Jeskey said. “These young people are very deserving, and it would help them to find some joy again.”

A loge box for the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl cost $400 per ticket.
To make a donation, simply call or visit the Sun Bowl Association office. The phone number to call is 915-533-4416 or make a trip to the office at 4150 Pinnacle Street, Suite 100.

The Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl is set for a 12 p.m. (MT) kick-off on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, with teams from the ACC and Pac-12 facing off. The game will be televised on CBS for the 55th consecutive year.

ABOUT GOLD STAR GAMERS
Gold Star Gamers mission is to help kids that have suffered the loss of a military parent find hope and healing through competitive gaming. When a child loses a parent, their whole world changes. They experience a huge drop in self-esteem, are at-risk for PTSD and suicidal thoughts. The kids tend to worry about their surviving parent and experience separation anxiety. School grades go down, friends are lost, and the future becomes unknown. Through Gold Star Gamers programs, we reach these kids on their level and their terms. Gaming is a culture that is not only important to the young, but also to the military community. Often during deployments or times of separation service members will game with their kids back home. Our programs are aimed at helping these kids find joy again, connect with other kids in similar situations, rebuild natural self-esteem, know that the military community has not forgotten about them, and finally to let them live out their dream of playing in a pro tournament.

ABOUT THE SUN BOWL ASSOCIATION
The Sun Bowl Association is a volunteer based nonprofit 501©(3) organization. The Sun Bowl Association, with the help of over 700 volunteers, promotes and serves the El Paso community and features a year-round schedule of events, culminating with the Annual Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl football game.

The Sun Bowl Association was founded in 1934 with a threefold purpose: 1) to present a football attraction of national importance, 2) to promote El Paso and the Southwest and 3) to generate tourist income for the area. On Oct. 18, 1934, at a meeting of the El Paso Kiwanis Club, Dr. Brice Schuller suggested that the club sponsor a football game on New Year’s Day, matching an El Paso High School All-Star Team against a worthy opponent. The motion was passed unanimously. It was decided to ask for public suggestions as to the name of this annual game, and the name “Sun Bowl” was submitted by Dr. C.M. Hendricks, who became the first president of the Sun Bowl Association.