New Jersey culinary arts teacher Neil Trimper jumped from 14,500 feet at Sussex County Airport to rally votes for Sussex County Technical School in T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights competition — an effort supporters say could lead to a major renovation of the school’s athletic facilities.
Sussex County Technical School is one of 10 schools competing for the East Region’s $250,000 prize, and a regional win would advance the Mustangs to the final four with a chance at a $1 million football field renovation, according to the school’s football board.
Trimper, known to students as “Chef T,” made the jump Sunday at Sussex County Airport, wearing T-Mobile pink and using a matching pink parachute, the press release said.
“I got a text like two weeks ago. ‘Hey, you want to jump out of a plane?’ And it was 8:30 in the morning I believe. And I was teaching kids,” Trimper said.
“And I’m like ‘what would you guys do?’ And my students are like ‘go for it, Chef,” Trimper said.
Supporters say the stakes are high for a school with athletic facilities that date back decades of now-outdated conditions, including a lack of field lights.
“We have not the greatest fields. We have no lights. Other schools around here have lights. And it’s that Friday night feel — we don’t have that,” Trimper said.
Parent Kristy Pinand said the school needs votes as it battles for position in the contest.
“We now have a one in 10 shot of winning $250,000 and then progressing to the million dollar field renovation. We are neck-and-neck with another school. Right now we’re sitting in number two, so we need votes,” Pinand said.
Sussex Tech has already earned $30,000 in the competition and is the only Tri-State area finalist still in the running, according to the football board.
Voting is available once daily through Oct. 25. Click this link to vote.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC New York. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC New York journalist edited the article for publication.
