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Mayor Keller Makes Good on Wager with Local Flavor

After Aggies defeat at Isleta New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, a city-themed gift box is now headed to Fresno.
December 19, 2023

Today, in the wake of NMSU’s defeat at the 18th Annual Isleta New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, Mayor Tim Keller of Albuquerque, NM, is sending off his wagered city-themed gift box to Mayor Jerry Dyer of Fresno, CA.

Last Friday, both mayors agreed on a good-natured wager on the outcome of the game, which featured the New Mexico State Aggies vs. the Fresno State Bulldogs. The Bulldogs beat the Aggies 37-10. The game took place at University Stadium in Albuquerque, NM, on Saturday, December 16th, in front of the third largest crowd in the bowl’s history, reportedly at 30,822.

“It was awesome to see Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and folks from all over New Mexico, come together in full force to support the home team,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “The silver lining of losing this friendly wager is that now we get to share a taste of what makes our city special with the good people of Fresno.

The stakes of the wager were city-representative, local flavor gift boxes. As a consequence of the Bulldogs victory, Mayor Keller will be presenting Mayor Dyer with an “ABQ in a Box” Holiday Edition, filled with iconic holiday items from a variety of local ABQ businesses.

Full content of the box include: a handcrafted tin holiday ornament, a mini honey bear from Edgewood Honey Farm, lavender peppermint hand lotion from Los Poblanos, biscochitos and ginger rascals from Rude Boy Cookies, red chile pistachios from Heart of the Desert, green chile fudge from La Choco in Albuquerque’s Old Town, green chile from El Pinto (2-pack), tortilla coasters from Seraparito Supply Co., pinon flavored coffee from NM Pinon Coffee, NM Christmas recipe cookbook.  Additionally, the box will be supplemented with a bottle from Albuquerque distillery Hollow Spirits.

The Isleta New Mexico Bowl is played at University Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M.