GETTYSBURG — The Gettysburg School District is among hundreds of schools that have joined the national Friday Night 5G Lights presented by T-Mobile, a contest designed to spotlight small-town pride and Friday night football spirit across the country.

The Battlers are competing for weekly $5,000 drawings, a $25,000 grant and a chance to score the ultimate prize — $1 million toward upgrades to their football field. 

“If we do happen to luck out, we would definitely be humbled and make the most of it because Battler Field means a lot to all of us and we definitely do need some bleachers,” Gettysburg School District Superintendent Amber Mikkelsen said. “It’s time to upgrade our bleachers, but we need to prioritize our budget. So that’s not something we have been able to do yet at this point. So that would sure help us make some upgrades where we can continue to really enjoy Battler Field.”

The Gettysburg Battlers played the Harding County/Bison Ranchers in their season opener. (Courtesy photo)

The contest kicked off on July 17, when schools from across the nation submit their applications and share why they deserve to win. The application period continues until Sept. 12, and during this time T-Mobile will announce 50 randomly selected $5K Fridays winners each Friday for a total of 450 winners. Earlier this fall, New Underwood School won a $5,000 drawing. 

The top-25 finalists will be announced later this month, and the voting period will be open until Oct. 24. Each finalist will receive $25,000, and will continue rallying their community to secure as many votes as possible to win the grand prize.

On Oct. 30, the $1 million grand prize winner will be announced. 

As part of the contest, schools are encouraged to show their school pride by posting photos or videos on social media.

“We have some amazing parents and staff members that have just really latched onto it and are doing a great job of trying to promote it, and see if we can’t be the lucky school,” Mikkelsen said. 

Mikkelsen created a Gettysburg Instagram account (@battlernation605) to promote the school’s activities and updates on all things Battler events. Battler fans are encouraged to "like" "comment" and "share" the account’s content, said Mikkelsen. 

“Everybody has just really kind of rallied around the whole idea,” Mikkelsen said. “I am hands off at this point and they have taken it over and are doing a fantastic job. They are using it as an opportunity to highlight our coaching staff, and highlight our players, and not just the athletic part of the field. But the things that happen at Battler Field as a community.” 

It’s also an opportunity for Gettysburg to pay homage to its former football coach, Vern Smith, who died in Feb. 2024 after a bout with cancer. Smith was a long-time fixture in the community and helped turn the Battlers into a nine-man football powerhouse. 

“It’s a great way for us to remember all of the decades of work that Vern put in,” Mikkelsen said. “Not just as a football coach, but a teacher and a mentor and a guide and athletic director. His presence is missed every single day around here as we all try to pick up the slack and the pieces that he carried, which was a lot. We are definitely missing Vern and so grateful for everything that he gave to the school.”

The Gettysburg student body and staff pose for a drone picture on the Battler football field. (Courtesy photo)