ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Rock Island is one of 25 U.S. towns to receive the latest round of Hometown Grants from wireless carrier T-Mobile.
The grant program was founded in April 2021 with the goal of investing in small towns across the country to help them thrive and embrace what makes them unique, according to the carrier's website. T-Mobile pledged to donate $25 million over the course of 5 years, with funds going to 25 different small towns every quarter.
The City of Rock Island will use the $50,000 it received through the grant program to finish renovations of its historic Douglas Park, Mayor Mike Thoms said. Specifically, the money will help install field lighting for the park's youth baseball diamond and multipurpose field.
Thoms said the city applied for the T-Mobile grant back in October. The entire reconstruction process of the park located on Martin Luther King Drive has cost over $1 million, with most of the funding from private donations.
Many improvement projects have already been completed, including a new ball field with turf, dugouts, and a scoreboard; concession stand; press box; parking lot; lighted community playground; bench seating; and more.
Throughout its existence, Douglas Park has seen a lot of historic moments throughout its history, including hosting the country's first NFL game back in 1920 and the first college football game between the universities of Iowa and Illinois in 1899.
All of the recent improvements were done with the goal of making the park an inviting place for the community and sports recreation just as it once was.
"It's very important to have that feeling of welcoming," Thoms said. "People don't go door to door like they may be used to do and make friends or meet your neighbors … We feel that improving the parks, making them useful, is a way to welcome each other, meet and greet, and build friendships."