Local tennis players are happy that they can now play on lighted courts and all are invited to an “Under the Lights” celebration being held at Prior Lake High School on Thursday, Sept. 25, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
The celebration will include an opportunity to meet members of the PLHS tennis teams, play tennis with family members or other tennis players, and watch mixed doubles practice matches. A food truck will be on site. The official lighting ceremony is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. More information on the event can be found here.
Prior Lake High School received grants from the United State Tennis Association (USTA), and donations from Prior Lake Athletics for Youth (PLAY) and the Laker Athletic Booster Club (LABC) to install lights on the local school courts.
The lights are accessible to the community, as well as to school teams, according to Jay Breimhorst, vice-president of tennis for PLAY. Lights can be turned by anyone after sunset and will stay on for a two-hour period. The installation was a first of its kind in Minnesota, and use of the LED lighting system comes with a lower cost than that associated with traditional high-mast systems. The lights were mounted to the top of 10-foot fences.
Fencing upgrades, electrical hook-up and all costs related to lighting project came to approximately $135,000, which was covered by grants and donations. An additional $65,000 was also recently invested in the courts for resurfacing, bringing the total investment in upgrades to $200,000.
