By ARABELLA SERRATA
editor@sbnewspaper.com
San Benito High School [SBHS] is one of 50 high schools receiving $5,000 from T-Mobile. The money comes from the mobile company’s program to help small-town high schools and their football programs.
The program will conclude with one high school winning a grand prize to fund a “football field and technology makeover,” according to a T-Mobile press release. Sixteen finalists will win $25,000, and the grand prize winner will be from that pool.
According to the official T-Mobile website, the full grand prize will include “a $100,000 cash grant, a new teched-out scoreboard, 5G network upgrades, the ultimate tailgate party for the whole community [and] a 5G-powered halftime drone show.”
Super Bowl champion Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski is partnering with the company for part of the prize, a new weight room from his fitness brand.
The recipients for the prizes are chosen based on “compelling stories about why their high school needs the grand prize tech upgrade, potential impact on the school’s football field, and how the school has shown school spirit during the application window through social engagement.“
Luis Gonzales Jr., SBCISD Director of Public Relations, explained that the competition targets fan interaction for these hometown teams, which adds points to the schools. In their competition proposal, SBHS cited a new scoreboard, press box, and parking upgrades as potential projects the money would contribute to.
“I think this is a great opportunity. We have to continue to encourage our fans to be active on social media posts,” said Gonzales.
He recognized that SBHS is competing against schools nationwide, but is hopeful nonetheless. “It would be a great opportunity for San Benito because we would be able to reward our students by upgrading their stadium,” said Gonzales.
Gonzales encourages students and fans to interact with the school through their social media pages. Winners of the $16,000 prize will be announced on Oct. 10. The grand prize winner will be announced in early December.