The Pleasant Valley community has something significant to celebrate this week.

Pleasant Valley High School has been named one of 25 finalist schools nationwide in T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights program, earning a $25,000 grant and positioning itself for a potential $1 million grand prize that would transform the school’s athletic facilities.

Out of 2,176 schools that entered the nationwide competition, Pleasant Valley stands as the only Pennsylvania finalist — and the only school from the entire tri-state area of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey to advance this far.

“This recognition is a testament to the power of our community,” said James Korcienski, PV’s Director of Athletics.

“From our student leaders and athletes to our staff and local residents, everyone has played a part in getting us to this point. This isn’t just a school accomplishment; it’s a success for everyone who calls this community home.”

The school has already secured $30,000 through the program – the $25,000 finalist prize plus a $5,000 “5K Friday” award earned earlier in the season.

T-Mobile will host a special recognition event at Pleasant Valley’s home football game on Friday against Pocono Mountain East — the annual Bucket Game rivalry that dates back to the 1960s.

The celebration will feature free admission for all attendees, with T-Mobile covering the gate.

The company has also provided $2,000 in food vouchers for students to use at the concession stand, along with promotional items including T-shirts, hats, and rally scarves to distribute to fans.

A tailgate will run from 5-6 p.m. before the 7:10 kickoff, with T-Mobile’s promotional truck on-site for community engagement.

At halftime, Pleasant Valley will be presented with the ceremonial $25,000 check. Blue Ridge Communications will broadcast the game.

Community voting will determine which of the 25 finalist schools wins the grand prize. Voting is open through Oct. 24, with supporters able to cast one vote per email address per day.

Pleasant Valley (as of Monday) sits in 16th place on the public leaderboard. An Arkansas school leads the competition with about 300,000 votes after generating statewide media attention.

The voting link is available on the school’s homepage at pvbears.org, or supporters can vote directly at the contest page: Vote for Pleasant Valley

The winning school, to be announced on Oct. 30, will receive a package that includes: A $1 million stadium renovation, a weight room makeover from Gronk Fitness, with Rob Gronkowski participating in a block party celebration; a consultation with stadium experience experts; an all-expenses-paid trip to the SEC Championship Game for 16 school representatives; and a tailgate party in 2026, revealing the finalized upgrades.

According to Korcienski, T-Mobile launched the Friday Night 5G Lights program last year to support rural schools where athletic facilities serve as community centers.

Schools qualify based on population and economic criteria, focusing on districts where funding often depends heavily on local constituents rather than diverse business bases.

Korcienski credited the school’s student groups and social media efforts for advancing through the early rounds of competition, noting that T-Mobile tracked how frequently schools used designated hashtags and tagged the company in posts about extracurricular activities and events.

“Our student groups tagging out the hashtags and tagging T-Mobile really helped out,” Korcienski said. “We just need to extend our area, and whatever we can get out media-wise would be awesome.”