Menasha High School wins $1 million contest to upgrade stadium damaged by tornado

After not being able to play on their own turf this football season, the Menasha High School Blue Jays are getting a $1 million field upgrade. T-Mobile announced this week that Menasha won the top prize in the company’s Friday Night 5G Lights competition. Their win, secured through votes by the public, was announced in a video featuring retired New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. More than 2,500 schools applied for the money. In Menasha, community members pushed hard to win, with students, businesses and supporters holding social media campaigns asking people to vote. Understanding Wisconsin, Together. WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter. LinkedIn This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Email Subscribe The Menasha football team announced the win on social media . “Seeing over 500 businesses across 52 cities turn magenta, watching neighbors remind each other to vote every single day, and feeling the entire state of Wisconsin unite behind our students has been nothing short of extraordinary,” the announcement stated. A massive tornado struck the town in July, damaging hundreds of homes and businesses, along with the high school’s Calder Stadium. Just weeks after the storm, Menasha resident Rachael Dowling, who has two sons on the football team, submitted the contest application for the school. She said her sons were the reason why she applied for the money, saying it was difficult for the team to not have their home field this season. “It’s not home, it was kind of like being in a hotel. You had to pack all your stuff up to get there, and then when you’re done, you got to check out,” Dowling said. “That alone was such a huge mental game for the kids to overcome, because every game felt like an away game.” Menasha High School Football Coach Jeramie Korth said he was in disbelief when the stadium was damaged. He said it is made of concrete and has been around for over 60 years. “You never once could imagine that it would actually happen to your community, or you never feel like it’s going to be you until it is you,” he said. “We view our stadium as maybe the best high school stadium in the state of Wisconsin, and now the ability to not play here just took that much from it.” T-Mobile gave a total of $8.4 million in prizes to high schools across the country. Thousands of schools applied, and Menasha still won by over 100,000 votes. The school will walk away with a total of $1.37 million including a fitness gym upgrade. The company said more than 3.2 million votes were cast in the competition nationwide. “All season long, small towns across America showed up for their schools,” said Jon Freier, T-Mobile’s chief operating officer, in a statement. “They shared their stories, rallied their fans and showed us what hometown pride looks like – and Menasha took that pride to a whole other level. They came together, inspired an entire state and showed us what it means to never give up.” Dowling said the contest was a good way for people without financial resources to help out. She said people just had to provide their phone numbers in order to vote. “This was something that people could do to help those who didn’t have any money,” she said. “I think it just really leveled the playing field.” Over 400 businesses ‘turned magenta’ by posting online to encourage people to vote. Superintendent of the Menasha School District Dan Slowey said he’s heard support from schools across the state. “Seeing everyone come together and seeing the light that’s come through this galvanized community has been just unbelievable to witness,” Slowey said. “I cannot tell you the number of people that have come out saying, ‘Hey, we voted for you, Our whole school’s voting for you. We’re behind you,’ and it took a life of its own.” Slowey said the goal is to have the upgraded stadium ready by next fall for football season. He says he will meet with T-Mobile and the district’s financial manager to find the best ways to utilize the money. Dowling said going through the adversity of the tornado has brought more tenacity to the football team. “It was watching the kids learn that they get to choose how they react to circumstances, and this is going to carry them farther in life than anything ever could,” she said. “You can’t learn that in a classroom.” Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2026, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. Related Stories Menasha schools welcoming students back a month after EF-3 tornado Fox Valley leaders still determining scale of tornado destruction Cleanup underway in Menasha after tornado hits Appleton area Widespread damage in Menasha and Appleton area after tornado