XBC Impact Story: PPE Funding Focus of Xavier Booster Club

One of the major impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic was the cancellation of sports seasons, fine arts performances and social gatherings to celebrate talents from individuals all across the world last spring. Xavier High School wanted to ensure that the 2020-2021 school year did not end like the previous year did with the absence of these events. From the support and cooperation of the Xavier Booster Club, Xavier has been able to properly protect students with the specific equipment in their activities this year. 

“We've provided custom Xavier masks for each player and coach. For individual sports, such as football, we attached cyclone shields (small, clear vinyl protectors) to the teams’ football helmets. We also provided neck gators to the team and coaching staff,” said XHS Activities Director, Adam McDonnell. 

McDonnell has been at the forefront of scheduling and protocols for Xavier activities during the COVID-19 crisis. His dedication and leadership has helped make season after season this year not only possible but successful. 

“The biggest investment this year in our battle against COVID-19 was equpping our wrestling program with a steril laser UVC mat cleaner, which is more effective than our typical disinfectant spray,” McDonnell said. 

With support from the Xavier Booster Club, Xavier was able to purchase this pushable UVC laser cleaner which disinfects the wrestling mats in between all home wrestling meets this season. 

“It was an awesome surprise,” senior wrestler and state qualifier Caelen Shannon said. “The UVC laser helped with skin infections along with helping to protect us from COVID-19, which was really great.”

Being able to have activities in the 2020-2021 school year has given the many Saints who participate in athletics the opportunity to continue their pursuit (over 95 percent of Xavier students participate in at least one co-curricular activitity). 

“It meant the world for me to be able to play all my sports this year, especially with it being my senior year," states XHS senior and four-sport student-athlete, Jack Lux. "It’s been good for us to represent our school with the ‘X’ logo while maintaining protection for the entirety of our seasons. The masks are especially nice because they are athletic masks, which make it easier to play in. Getting the opportunity to compete with my teammates this year will be memories I will cherish forever.”

Due to this generous contribution from the Xavier Booster Club, Xavier was able to offer all fall and winter activities for Saints to participate in. 

This spring, one can support Xavier performing arts students as they present Grease in the Regis-LaSalle Theatre and attend an evening soccer game at Saints Field of the boys or girls soccer teams (this will be the first season our soccer teams will have the option to play on the recently-resurfaced Saints Field under the lights), cheer on our championship-caliber tennis teams, experience our track athletes make their run for Des Moines, and witness our girls golf team on their road to return to State as well (the Saints were 3A state qualifiers the last time they were able to play in 2019).

To see a schedule of spring activities, click here. 

For many spring athletes, like those who competed in the fall and winter, this has been a very humbling experience granted to them by the Xavier Booster Club. 

“Getting to finish my senior season [in soccer] is extremely meaningful to me because last year many of my teammates lost their final competition season,” senior soccer player Carter Diebold said. “We are planning on using the momentum we had from the 2019 season because we have a lot of returners and we are excited to finally have our shot at the state title.”