Ryan Delaney grew up playing football in Iowa and started his professional career in the Midwest. When he moved to the Phoenix area, he wanted to find an organization that combined his love for philanthropy and sports. Ultimately, Delaney found the Fiesta Sports Foundation and began to volunteer.

Since he began volunteering in 2020, Delaney's ascension through the organization and dedication to service led him to be named the winner of the 2024-25 Ellie Ziegler Fiesta Sports Foundation Chair of the Year.

"When I first started looking at ways to give back to the community, the ability to marry sports and volunteering together was a unique opportunity with the Fiesta Sports Foundation. That's what ultimately led me to volunteering," Delaney said.

The Ellie Ziegler Chair of the Year Award is given to an event chair who provides significant leadership and exemplary effort.

Upon becoming a Yellow Jacket, the first major event that Delaney volunteered at was the 2020 PNC Fiesta Sports Foundation Par 3 Challenge presented by Chapman Automotive, following the isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There was so much pent-up demand to be around new people and be social after the world had been shut down. It was a fun few days for me and I loved it," said Delaney, "Right away, I tried to find every opportunity I could to be more heavily involved in the event [Par 3 Challenge], because it was my favorite non-football event of the year."

In 2024, Delaney chaired the Par 3 Challenge committee, where his main goal was to maintain the popularity of the event while elevating it to a higher and more engaging level than it had achieved in the past.

"When you're in the Chair's role, you are in charge of taking this great event that has gone on for years, and putting your own stamp on it," Delaney said. "We added some new facets that would generate more money for the Foundation while elevating the experience for the golfers."

Delaney led the charge for the completely sold-out three-day tournament while implementing a specific hole sponsored by the Yellow Jacket Committee.

In addition to being a Yellow Jacket, Delaney has volunteered around the Valley of the Sun, including on the Board of Directors for Make-A-Wish, a former grant recipient of the Fiesta Sports Foundation. What he finds truly special about the Fiesta Sports Foundation is the magnitude of the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl football game itself, which the Foundation leverages to impact many worthwhile causes around Arizona.

"It's different from anything else I've ever been a part of. The reach of the Fiesta Sports Foundation is so broad. We're not just one narrowly-focused foundation," said Delaney. "Whether it's our grant process that provides charitable dollars for different organizations, Wishes for Teachers, youth football clinics or one of our playground builds. There are so many different ways that the organization has an impact."

For Delaney, the most rewarding part of being a Yellow Jacket is hearing the impact that the Fiesta Sports Foundation has on the community.

"Sometimes we'll have somebody visit and speak about how much impact the Foundation has had on their life or organization. Whether it's a teacher that had her wish granted or a nonprofit organization that applied through our grant process, seeing that type of impact is the most rewarding part to me," Delaney said.