The City of Woodstock has been chosen as a top 10 finalist in a contest to win a $3 million makeover as part of T-Mobile’s Hometown Techover, the city announced.
T-Mobile unveiled the contest in April. Thousands of towns across the United States entered, the company said.
On Thursday, T-Mobile announced that Woodstock was part of 10 small towns that were selected as finalists.
The other towns include Borough of Stroudsburg, PA; Dunn, NC; Girard, KS; Guadalupe, CA; Hopkinsville, KY; Kalispell, MT; Tipton, IN; Wareham, MA; Washington, MO.
The winner will receive a $3 million tech makeover, which includes a $200,000 community grant, 5G network enhancements, a Little League baseball field refurbishment and a free concert featuring Florida Georgia Line.
“Right on the heels of celebrating America’s birthday, it’s time to celebrate the small towns at the very heart of our country,” said Jon Freier, Executive Vice President of Consumer Group at T-Mobile.
“As the 5G leader, we’re committed to helping bridge the digital divide, and getting rural America as well-connected as Big City USA. This three-million-dollar Hometown Techover is just one example of how we’ll get to work … and it’s just the beginning,” Freier said.
A panel of judges from T-Mobile and Smart Growth America will determine a winner based on project feasibility, the town’s need for a network upgrade, and town leadership interest and engagement.
The winner of the 10 towns will be announced later this summer. “The remaining nine finalists will not go home empty-handed,” T-Mobile said.
The 10 finalists will each get a $50,000 grant to help jump-start or complete a project in their community.
Woodstock Mayor Mike Turner called the announcement “big news” and said a $3 million investment in Woodstock “would be transformational.”
“Thank you T-Mobile for your generous support of small towns, and for recognizing that Woodstock is a tremendous community!” Turner said.