Clear Lake Wins $50,000 T-Mobile Hometown Grant to Build World’s Largest Buddy Holly Guitar

Clear Lake, Iowa — June 26, 2025 — Clear Lake is celebrating a major win for its community and musical heritage. The city has been selected as one of just 26 communities nationwide to receive a $50,000 grant through T-Mobile’s Hometown Grants program — and the funds will go toward building something truly one-of-a-kind: the world’s largest 1954 Sunburst Fender Stratocaster.

A 31-Foot Tribute to Buddy Holly

The grant, submitted by the Surf Ballroom North Iowa Cultural Center and Museum, will fund the construction of a 31-foot replica of the iconic guitar made famous by rock and roll legend Buddy Holly. The monumental sculpture is planned as a landmark attraction in Clear Lake’s Surf District, drawing visitors from around the world to the site where Holly performed one of his final concerts before his tragic death in February 1959.

Organizers say the project will celebrate America’s musical heritage while driving year-round economic vitality for the region.

T-Mobile presented the grant check Friday evening, June 26, at the Surf Ballroom North Iowa Cultural Center and Museum, located at 460 North Shore Drive in Clear Lake.

Clear Lake Among 500 Communities Nationwide

The award is part of T-Mobile’s landmark Hometown Grants initiative, which has invested more than $22.8 million in 500 community projects across 49 states and Puerto Rico since launching in 2021. The program has:

• Impacted more than 4.2 million people
• Inspired over 300,000 volunteer hours
• Generated nearly $125 million in matching funds
• Helped create more than 2,770 jobs

Across Iowa, T-Mobile’s Hometown Grants program has now provided over $730,000 to 15 towns, with Clear Lake and Washington, Iowa both named recipients in this final round.

What It Means for Clear Lake

The Surf Ballroom has long been a pilgrimage destination for music fans worldwide. On February 2, 1959 — the night that would become known as “The Day the Music Died” — Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper performed there before boarding the ill-fated flight that claimed their lives. The ballroom has been preserved as a living tribute to that era of American rock and roll.

The proposed guitar sculpture would give that legacy a bold, visible presence in the community — a landmark that puts Clear Lake on the map for a new generation of music tourists and music history enthusiasts.

For more information on T-Mobile’s Hometown Grants program and the full list of recipients, visit the T-Mobile Newsroom.