ALPAUGH, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — In a small community like Alpaugh, kindergarten through 12th grade is held all in one school, and there’s only one place to be on a Friday night.
“When the football team comes out, the entire town comes out to watch them,” Alpaugh High School Athletic Director Jacob Sanchez said.
Sanchez says the eight-man football team started playing under the signature Friday night lights when they were installed just two years ago.
The district has been working to build up the field, including installing a brand new scoreboard just last month.
“As you can see, there’s a lot still that has been done. There’s a lot still that we need to do,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez showed us the inside of the high school weight room.
It’s filled with rusty weights and well-loved whiteboards.
Near the field, they’d like to install a place for concessions, restrooms nearby and better stands for spectators.
So when Sanchez heard about an opportunity to win up to a $1 million renovation through T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights sweepstakes, he and the community made their case on social media.
They officially made it through the first round and were selected as a “5K Friday” winner.
“They got behind the spirit of the program, which is, tell us about your community, tell us about your culture, tell us about your past history,” T-Mobile Rural market manager Michael Perreira said.
They were awarded a $5,000 grant and are officially in the running for the top 25, which comes with more money.
“They’ll win an additional $25,000 and be in the final running for the grand prize winner of $1 million, new weight equipment from Gronk Fitness, a tailgate party to do an unveiling next August,” Perreira said.
The top 25 will be announced on September 25.
Sanchez says winning would be transformational for their students and the area.
“It’s a community event. It’s not just a football game,” Sanchez said. “Every dollar goes a long way, especially in small schools. These kids, this community, deserve all of it.”
Alpaugh High School would love support from the Central Valley to help make their story stand out.
Creating your own posts on social media and sharing theirs will give them the best opportunity of getting that $1 million grand prize.
If you share your own post, make sure you tag T-Mobile and Alpaugh High School as well as use the hashtags #Sweepstakes and #FridayNight5GLights45
