City of Hickory receives $50K T-Mobile Hometown Grant
The City of Hickory has been selected to receive a $50,000 Hometown Grant from T-Mobile to make improvements at Taft Broome Park.
In honor of this grant award, the Hickory community is invited to a celebration at Samuel William Davis, Sr. Multipurpose Field on Wednesday, March 27, at 6 p.m.
The event will feature music, games, and free hot dogs courtesy of T-Mobile. Special remarks will be provided by Hickory Mayor Hank Guess, Councilman Rev. Dr. Anthony Freeman, Infrastructure Grants Manager Karen Dickerson, T-Mobile representatives, and Xenophone Lutz, Jr., a member of the Ridgeview Panthers “Untouchables” football team. Other members of The Untouchables will also be in attendance at the field celebration.
The Hometown Grant funds will be used to update Samuel William Davis, Sr. Multipurpose Field at Taft Broome Park, which was the home field of the former Ridgeview High School and The Untouchables, the 1964 football team that made history with a perfect season. Updates will include improvements to the field’s turf, PA system, netting, and fencing. These investments will provide an enhanced facility for sports and community events and help to preserve the rich history of the former Ridgeview High School.
“It is incredibly exciting for the City of Hickory to have been selected to receive the T-Mobile Hometown Grant,” said Hickory Mayor Hank Guess. “The historic Samuel William Davis, Sr. Multipurpose Field is a significant landmark in Hickory's history, especially for the Ridgeview community, the former Ridgeview High School, and the legendary 1964 Untouchables football team. We look forward to using these grant funds to make improvements that will preserve and celebrate the community's history while creating an engaging space where current and future residents can gather, play, and connect. With the new Historic Ridgeview Walk running right along this field, we know this space will continue to be a cornerstone of the community.”
Samuel William Davis, Sr. Multipurpose Field is located at 730 Third Street SW in Hickory. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held indoors at Ridgeview Recreation Center, 115 Seventh Avenue SW.
T-Mobile partners with Main Street America and Smart Growth America to select Hometown Grant recipients; applications are judged by their level of detail, community impact, feasibility, and other considerations. Each quarter, T-Mobile awards 25 Hometown Grants to small towns with populations of 50,000 or less. For more information about T-Mobile’s Hometown Grants program, visit www.t-mobile.com/hometowngrants.
***UPDATE***
Due to the rain and wet field conditions, this event has been moved from Samuel William Davis, Sr. Multipurpose Field to inside Ridgeview Recreation Center.