Award will purchase athletic and safety equipment as Pirates remain eligible for prizes worth up to $1 million
GRANTS, N.M. – Grants High School has won $5,000 for athletic and safety equipment through T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights competition, giving Pirate student-athletes an immediate benefit while the school remains in the running for prizes worth as much as $1 million.
Grants High was randomly selected as a $5K Fridays winner through T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights competition, a national program aimed at small-town high school football programs and their communities.
The successful application was submitted by Grants Cibola County Schools Director of Finance and Technology Cooper Jones.
“Grants High School just scored $5,000 — and they’re also in the running for a football field transformation valued at $1 million,” T-Mobile Senior Communications Manager Lyssa Ledger said in announcing the award.
The $5,000 is a guaranteed award and does not affect Grants High School’s eligibility for the larger prizes still available through the competition. T-Mobile described the weekly prize as “an extra win along the way,” with every eligible applicant remaining in contention for the larger awards.
Grants High School Athletic Director Reyes Jaramillo said the money will be put directly into the athletic program.
“The $5,000 award will go directly toward purchasing essential athletic and safety equipment,” Jaramillo said. “Because our participation numbers have increased across the board, these funds will ensure our student-athletes have the best protective gear and resources needed to train and compete safely.”
The competition could ultimately bring substantially more money to Grants.
T-Mobile will select 40 finalists to receive $25,000 each, four division champions to receive $250,000 and one grand-prize winner for a football field transformation valued at $1 million.
Jaramillo said Grants pursued the competition as a way of finding money outside the traditional funding sources available to the district.
“We are constantly seeking nontraditional funding opportunities to improve our athletic facilities without putting an added fundraising burden on our athletes and their families,” Jaramillo said.
If Grants advances further, school officials have identified stadium lighting, the sound system, a new LED video scoreboard, press box improvements and expansion of the school's weight room among potential projects.
Jaramillo said the stadium lights and sound system are outdated, while additional weight-room space would allow the district to better accommodate multiple athletic programs.
The district does not yet have finalized cost estimates for those improvements. If Grants wins a $25,000 or $250,000 award rather than the grand prize, Jaramillo said officials would obtain quotes and determine which projects could provide the greatest impact within the available funding.
Those improvements would build upon previous work at the stadium, including synthetic turf, track improvements and upgrades to the home bleachers.
The facility is also used well beyond Friday-night football. It hosts high school football, soccer and track and field, middle school athletics and youth football through a partnership with the City of Grants. Firefighters, law enforcement officers and U.S. Forest Service personnel also use the facility for pack tests and fitness evaluations.
“When applying for this grant, I really wanted to emphasize that our stadium is more than just a venue – it's a gathering space that brings our diverse community together,” Jaramillo said.
Eligible schools in communities with populations below 150,000 can continue applying for the Friday Night 5G Lights competition through Sept. 18.
For Grants High School, the competition has already produced a tangible result: $5,000 for equipment that school officials say will help meet the needs of a growing number of Pirate athletes.