Lakeland High School admins hold a giant check worth $5,000 presented to Lakeland from T-Mobile. Over the past couple of weeks, 300 schools have won five thousand dollars from T-Mobile to support their football programs. These cash prizes are presented to schools to support specifically High School football and the country-wide beloved Friday Night Lights games.
T-Mobile teamed up with former NFL player Rob Gronkowski to donate money to rural areas football programs. Two million dollars is the grand prize, and five thousand is the smallest prize. Prizes in between that range will be rewarded as well.
Lakeland got lucky and received five thousand dollars from T-Mobile at the Homecoming football game. Thanks to the Hawk spirit and charisma in the cheerleaders, student section, and players, the five thousand dollars earned will go towards updates for the team.
Social engagement for the school and T-Mobile is what determines the victor for the money. By getting students to tag T-Mobile in posts and stories, the most engagement earns the smaller cash prizes. During the finals of the competition, when schools are competing for the higher cash prizes, compelling stories about why the school needs the money, and other factors, go into the determination of the winner.
Businesses supporting schools is one of the biggest factors in a school’s success. T-Mobile makes it their mission to find smaller schools and give them the chance to earn funds for their football team.
“I think donations invest hugely in the teams in all sports, and it can be hard going against bigger teams with more money. That’s why donations to smaller schools are huge to their programs,” Clive Hobbs said.
T-Mobile specifically chooses more rural areas, as an acknowledgment of the businesses beginning. The owners of the company brought the 5G network over to rural areas in the beginning, and believe that small towns deserve the same shot as big cities.
Friday Night Football brings the community together, all things that divide a town go away for the night. T-Mobile recognizes this great commitment to small towns and admires the goal.
“Out of all the sports I have played, the thing I love most is how all the players’ friends, families, and communities come together even if just for one night,” Gracee Jameson said.
Now, Lakeland High School students and the Rathdrum community are being called to action. Promote Lakeland football and T-Mobile on social media, show up, and show out to games, for the school to earn an even bigger cash prize.
Sports Director for Lakeland High School Matt Neff, the student section, and the players on the team helped get the victory of the five thousand dollars by showing leadership, sportsmanship, and passion for the team and Rathdrum as a whole.
Businesses’ contributions to the school allow for new upgrades.
The money will be used to rebuild the stadium bleachers by replacing the foundation to make it sturdier.
The winning team of the bigger prize will allow for much bigger improvements, making it a highly desired opportunity for the team.
Public schools and community donations go hand-in-hand. By increasing funds, schools are opened to a whole new world of opportunities for the students within. Whether it be more resources for extracurricular activities or even after-high school programs that support the students finding career paths, donations benefit everyone within the school, especially students.
Bigger corporations tend to donate to larger schools and organizations, but T-Mobile made it their mission to support smaller, more rural schools. This benefits all students regardless of their location. By targeting smaller schools, students are given the same opportunities to win donations based on their spirit for the school.
