The main stage of the Pittston Tomato Festival will soon have steel girders and a roof installed in time for the annual Tomato Festival in August. The $42,000 donation from T-Mobile will go towards lights and sound for the stage. Pittston City Mayor Michael Lombardo, left, thanked T-Mobile, along with T-Mobile Senior Manager Joe Giannone, right, for the donation of $42,000 to the City of Pittston.
                                 Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

The main stage of the Pittston Tomato Festival will soon have steel girders and a roof installed in time for the annual Tomato Festival in August. The $42,000 donation from T-Mobile will go towards lights and sound for the stage. Pittston City Mayor Michael Lombardo, left, thanked T-Mobile, along with T-Mobile Senior Manager Joe Giannone, right, for the donation of $42,000 to the City of Pittston.

Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

T-Mobile, known for vivid signature color, donates $42k for stage improvements

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<p>The Tomato Festival main stage is seen on Thursday. City Mayor Michael Lombardo thanked T-Mobile for its contribution to further enhance the popular Tomato Festival, which is held every August.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader</p>

The Tomato Festival main stage is seen on Thursday. City Mayor Michael Lombardo thanked T-Mobile for its contribution to further enhance the popular Tomato Festival, which is held every August.

Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

<p>Shannon Bonacci, Pittston City Redevelopment Authority deputy director, accepts a $42,000 check from T-Mobile’s senior manager, Joe Giannone, on Thursday afternoon at the Tomato Festival main stage, where the donation will aid in purchasing equipment for light and sound.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader</p>

Shannon Bonacci, Pittston City Redevelopment Authority deputy director, accepts a $42,000 check from T-Mobile’s senior manager, Joe Giannone, on Thursday afternoon at the Tomato Festival main stage, where the donation will aid in purchasing equipment for light and sound.

Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

PITTSTON — T-Mobile has, once again, made a financial donation to the city, this time a $42,000 grant for lighting and sound to enhance the Tomato Festival’s main stage.

T-Mobile, through its Hometown Grant program, donated $15,000 to the City of Pittston in September 2021 for the beautification project of the city’s Art Walk Loop.

All money donated by T-Mobile is through their Hometown Grant program.

“It’s a pleasure for us at T-Mobile to really say thank you,” Joe Giannone, T-Mobile senior manager, said. “We are grateful to for the, now second grant you have requested through the Hometown Grant program to help provide additional support, not only for the city, but for the residents of the city and the surrounding area.”

Giannone said T-Mobile is happy to care about what communities care about through the grant program, citing the lights and sound needed for the future stage to service the Tomato Festival.

“I want to say thank you very much, but it’s not about T-Mobile today, but it’s about the City of Pittston,” Giannone added.

City Mayor Michael Lombardo thanked T-Mobile for its contribution to further enhance the popular Tomato Festival, which is held every August.

“I would like to say thank you to T-Mobile,” Lombardo said. “It’s great when a community can move forward but it’s not possible without good partners and T-Mobile has been a good partner. Back in 1998, the city was in the red, but lately we’ve been in the pink (T-Mobile’s color) and I’d much rather be in the pink.”

Shannon Bonacci, Pittston City Redevelopment Authority deputy director, worked with T-Mobile to make the donation happen.

“We really appreciate T-Mobile’s support and partnership, not only have they given us grants two-years in a row, but they’ve also been a great sponsor with Mary (Kroptavich, Pittston’s Main Street manager) at a number of our Main Street events and our annual Tomato Festival as well. It’s a partnership we hope to continue and again, we are so grateful.”

Bonacci added the $42,000 would go towards the total cost of lighting and sound, which is estimated at $50,000.

Lombardo closed by saying, “A lot of people just hand checks to the city and leave, but T-Mobile isn’t really like that and we like when you show up at events and are here and it symbolizes our partnership.”