Lincoln High School senior Gary Tingley lunges for a touchdown in the opening quarter of the Lions’ Thanksgiving Day home game against Johnston High.  Call Photo/Ernest A. Brown 

By JON BAKER

LINCOLN  —  For years now, due to budgetary constraints, both the Lincoln High grid squads and those involved with the town’s youth football association have had to compete during daylight hours.

Almost assuredly, that will no longer be the case.
Officials and residents admitted being stunned when they learned shortly before 2 p.m. Monday that their semi-rural bedroom community had been chosen as victor of the second annual NorthEast-Eagle Electrical Distributors/WEEI Sports Talk Radio “New Friday Night Lights 2008 Sweepstakes.”
In short, it means the high school’s gridiron — otherwise known as Ferguson Field — will receive a state-of-the-art sports lighting system worth $100,000 from NorthEast-Eagle.
Talk about a stupendous early Christmas gift.
“(Town personnel director) Joanne McManus received a phone call from ’EEI’ before 2 p.m. to let her know we had won, and we were told to listen to the announcement at 2,” exclaimed Joan Dion, a clerk in the Town Assessor’s office.
It had been Dion’s responsibility to enter Lincoln in the contest. “When she told me, I couldn’t believe it. Everyone was thrilled,” Dion said.
“Like I’ve said before, I grew up in Cumberland, attending high school and youth games at Tucker Field on Friday nights,” she continued. “I’ve always wanted the same for my son, who plays in Lincoln’s youth football program, and all the other kids. The amount of money that could be generated with a night game is huge, and it also brings the community together. So many more people will come to the games.
“I know when the kids found out, they flipped,” Dion said. “They wanted this so badly, to be like other towns.”
The sweepstakes gave cities and towns throughout New England the chance to win an installed lighting system for a youth football field in their community.
More than a dozen municipalities sent in entries, along with short essays describing why they deserved new lights. The eligible entries were posted online, and the public invited to file votes for their specific site. For every 100 votes, that town received a single entry in a grand-prize drawing.
Finalists included Lincoln and East Greenwich in Rhode Island; from Massachusetts, Walpole, Franklin, Mendon, Shrewsbury, Worcester, Beverly, Pembroke, Grafton and Groton; and from Connecticut, Danbury, Derby and Newington.
“I know a Grafton, Mass., program received over 9,900 votes, meaning they had 99 entries in that sweepstakes ‘bucket,’” Dion noted. “Of all the New England towns and cities, we had one of the fewest amounts of entries with 14, but — somehow — we won. It’s just freak luck! I’m so happy for the community, and for all of our kids.”
When asked if Dion would begin playing the lottery with such luck, she laughed, “I don’t know. Maybe I should.”
Just about six weeks ago, she learned of the contest via an e-mail, then discussed the idea with McManus. Together they decided, “Why not give it a try? We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.”
Stated Don Block, president/chief executive officer of NorthEast-Eagle: “We are proud to congratulate Lincoln, Rhode Island, on winning (this) contest. I know that the community of Lincoln will really enjoy the outdoor sports lighting system for many years to come.”
While elated by the news, Town Administrator T. Joseph Almond said the installation was hardly a “done deal.” He suspects there may be additional costs to the town.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Almond stated Tuesday afternoon. “We need to get details of what the awarding of lights entails, and I don’t have those exact details. The football field is under the control of the school department, and that department doesn’t have money situated in its budget to make up the possible difference in cost.
“They don’t have any budget item for such a thing, but once we know what the exact cost is to install lights, and what the cost to the town of Lincoln will be, then we’ll sit down with (Schools Supt.) Georgia Fortunato and Angelo Mencucci, the schools’ facilities director.”
That said, a confident Almond went on to state that “we’re going to find a way to make this work.”
How? Possibly by going to the town’s capital committee, which could agree to fund a portion of the project from its restricted capital account. Money in that account helps pay for open space, recreation and/or capital improvements.
“There are no negatives here,” Almond said. “This is a great opportunity for everybody. Now we need to find a way to make it work, and I believe we will ... Everyone is really excited.
“Let’s face it, the residents did this. It wasn’t a governmental thing, but a grassroots effort from parents and friends. We just need to get together and bring it to fruition.”
For her part, Fortunato relished the notion of youth and high school football squads, not to mention cheerleading and track  and field teams, being able to host competitions at night.
“It’s been a long time coming,” she said. “What a win this is for the town of Lincoln to have Friday night games with lights up. It really captures what football is all about, the bringing together of residents for a joyous reason.”
Stated Dion: “I never expected we’d win this thing. I actually received a phone call from a woman on the high school football booster club, congratulating everyone. She told me she had applied for it last year, but we didn’t win. She was glad to see we kept at it.”