Janet Napolitanofrom the desk of AZ governor

Dear Friends,

Arizona has wrapped up the festivities surrounding Super Bowl XLII, a tremendous event that brought in an estimated 125,000 visitors to our state and put Arizona in the spotlight around the globe. One billion people in 22 countries watched a thrilling game and saw our state in a great light. The game itself is being dubbed by fans one of the best in Super Bowl history – a history Arizona was a part of.

This year’s game was a “statewide Super Bowl” that showcased all of Arizona as a great place to visit and a great place to stay. We are still counting the ways that the Super Bowl impacted business in our state, but event organizers forecast ahead of time the Super Bowl would provide a financial boost of about $400 million to our economy. No matter how the final numbers come out, there’s no doubt that the game was a big win for Arizona.
The impact of the Super Bowl stretches beyond just the play on the field and the weekend it occurs. We are hopeful that the many football fans and others who came to visit have the opportunity to come back again soon, whether on vacation, to invest in a business, or to relocate here. Showcasing our state during events such as Super Bowl, the FBR Open and the Accenture Match Play Championship helps others to catch a glimpse of the quality-of-life that has already drawn so many people to our state.

My congratulations and thanks go out to everyone involved in making Super Bowl XLII such a success – from the City of Glendale to the Super Bowl Host Committee to the public, private, nonprofit groups, businesses and citizens of Arizona who worked hard to make this a weekend to remember. Not all football fans could see their team win, but we can celebrate Super Bowl XLII as a win for Arizona.

As always, feel free to call my office at 602-542-1318 if you have questions or thoughts. Or, please visit our Web site at www.azgovernor.gov for information and news in state government.

Yours very truly,

Janet Napolitano
Governor