Nighttime football will return to Wauzeka this Thursday for the first time in 35 years. Wauzeka-Steuben will host Ithaca in a game beginning at 7pm. The end result is the culmination of over ten years of hard work by members of the Wauzeka and Steuben communities and nearly $143,000.

The lighting project was completed this week. It includes six steel poles capable of lighting both the football and baseball fields. The system comes with a 25-year warranty that includes all of the maintenance and bulb replacement during that time. A highly energy efficient system, organizers say it costs only six dollars per hour to operate.

The funding from the project came from two sources: the Wauzeka-Steuben school fund and donations/fund-raising.

Organizers believe the lights will be an asset for the whole community. They can be used for high school baseball and football as well as Little League baseball and softball during the summer. They also may be available for some community events.

There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 6:15pm before Thursday night’s game.