When a high school scores much-needed upgrades for its athletic stadium, it’s a win for the school and the entire community.
Friday night lights shine brightly in Reidsville, North Carolina.
The town turns out to root for the Reidsville High School Rams – the football games regularly sell out. And the team owns a record 22 state championship titles.
But its stadium was far from championship-worthy.
Why It Matters
The Reidsville Community Stadium is at the heart of the town of about 15,000 people. In addition to football games, it hosts band concerts, pep rallies, homecoming processions and various community activities.
The stadium, built in the mid 1980’s, seats 2,000 people. Hundreds of thousands of people have walked through the gates, played on the field and rallied behind their Rams.
And as proud as the school and town are of the team, there was something missing at the stadium. A few somethings.
The visitors’ side of the stadium lacked permanent bathrooms. Visitors used portable toilets, which did not comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. And they were hard to reach – positioned on the far edge of the football field.
The concessions stand was a “ramshackle outbuilding,” without connections for electricity or water.
The gym also needed ADA-accessible restrooms, and a new heating and air conditioning system.
Major projects with hefty price tags.
Reidsville High School Principal Erica Blackwell knew those upgrades were essential, so she applied for a grant from Lowe’s Hometowns– a five-year, $100 million commitment from Lowe’s to rebuild and revitalize community spaces nationwide.
First Blackwell got good news.
"When I got the email that I was one of the finalists, I was like ‘Oh my goodness, really?’”
Then, she got great news.
“And then when it said ‘Congratulations’ I was just overjoyed, I was so humbled, I was so grateful because of what it meant for Reidsville High.”
Joel Cogdell also knows what it means for the school.
The Lowe’s South Division President is a Reidsville graduate. And a former Ram - playing wide receiver, defensive back and quarterback during his tenure on the team.
"Everybody congregates at Reidsville High School for football on Friday night, so not only could we make impact for the school but also doing this for the school could make impact in the community,” said Cogdell.
The Impact
The grant from Lowe’s Hometowns paid for the gym’s new HVAC system, and modifications to make the bathrooms there ADA-compliant.
It also paid for construction of a new building, which now houses concessions and ADA-accessible restrooms for stadium visitors.
Improvements Principal Blackwell says “..will allow the visitors to be able to stay on their side so we can have our facilities for ourselves and it will just make for a better climate, everybody can get back to their seats and root on their team.”
A key part of every Lowe’s Hometowns project is the support received on “Red Vest Days,” when local Lowe’s associates help complete tasks on-site. A special team of Lowe’s volunteers spent hours tackling landscaping and installing fixtures and appliances in the new building.
The bleachers also got a touch-up, and there was money for a new turf utility vehicle, making Reidsville Community Stadium now the heart and pride of the school – one that first-year head coach Erik Teague can’t wait to play, and win, in.
“We’re going to work as hard as we can to make sure the product on the field kind of matches what everybody sees in the stadium and on the field. We’re just excited to get started and we’re ready for the season,” said Cogdell.
And for former Ram Cogdell, this Lowe’s Hometowns project helped him give back to the community that gave him his foundation.
"Reidsville is where everything all started for me. This is my roots, you know, my family’s still here,” said Cogdell. “The people that taught and actually guided me through my time here at Reidsville High are also responsible for me being able to do what I do today.”