Rob Gronkowski praises KC-area high school for winning $25,000 for football stadium
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- T-Mobile awarded Harrisonville High School $25,000 through Friday Night 5G Lights.
- Prize funds will upgrade Memorial Stadium press box, scoreboard and sound system.
- Community leaders and athletic director said upgrades will boost game-night experience.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and former Patriots/Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski traveled to Centerview, Missouri, earlier this summer, where they shot a commercial.
It was for T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights contest, which awards money to upgrade high school football stadiums in towns that have a population of less than 150,000 people.
The Crest Ridge School District in Centerview, which is roughly an hour from Kansas City, won $25,000 last year in the T-Mobile contest. And a KC-area school took home a similar prize in this year’s competition.
Harrisonville High School is one of the 25 finalist schools from across the country to get the $25,000 prize through T-Mobile’s program, which the mobile phone company said celebrates “the power of high school football to bring communities together.”
T-Mobile said the $25,000 will be used to upgrade the press box, scoreboard and sound system at Harrisonville’s Memorial Stadium. Harrisonville also was awarded $5,000 as part of the “5K Friday’s” sweepstakes earlier in the season.
“This is a great step forward for our students and our entire community,” Harrisonville athletic director Bob Ray said in a news release. “The support we’ve received shows how much Friday nights in Harrisonville mean, and the improvements ahead will make an even bigger impact for everyone who calls themselves a Wildcat.”
Gronkowski’s message
Gronkowski recorded a special message for Harrisonville that was shared on T-Mobile’s social-media channels.
“Shout out to Harrisonville High School. Congratulations on being a top 25 finalist in T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights,” Gronkowski said in the video. “Over 2,100 schools from every corner of the country showed up, but your school spirit stood out big time. Now you’re in the finals, which includes a $25,000 grant and a T-Mobile hosted home game. You’ve come this far, now it’s time to rally, post and win.”
The T-Mobile home game will be Oct. 10.
Harrisonville can win a $1 million prize from T-Mobile by getting the most votes of the 25 finalists. You can vote here.
This story was originally published October 1, 2025 at 11:59 AM.
