CAMPAIGN UPDATES

**9/2/24: Phase 1 Complete - THANK YOU!

Phase One is complete! Thank you to the MANY donors who supported Falcon Pride Booster Club and DC West Schools Foundation Equip for Excellence campaign. Because of the generosity, we were able to present a check to Mrs. Maca and Mr. Bergen for $25,000.

With these funds, the Sports Medicine and Strength and Conditioning departments at DC West was able to purchase recovery tools that help get our DC West athletes back competing faster.

Equip for Excellence funds were also able to purchase:

• Normatec recovery tool

• Thera-Band arm station

• IASTM laser

• Cupping tools

• Ankle isolator

• Bosu ball

• Stretching machine

Lastly, the Equip for Excellence Phase One campaign was able to provide branding for the room. There are now two branded signs for both the Sports Medicine and Strength and Conditioning departments. Phase One also includes a wrap for the external windows to the weight and training room.

** 1/17/24: BREAKING NEWS: The DC West Schools Foundation will match all Equip for Excellence donations dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000 now until the end of February. Get your donation doubled today!

** 1/16/24: We have decided to break our fundraising campaign up into two separate phases in order to bring value to the District sooner. Phase 1 will focus on raising $35k for Training Room equipment and branding expenses. Phase 2 will raise $100k for additional weight room equipment (i.e., 6 weightlifting racks & additional equipment).

Overview:

It should come as no surprise that DC West athletics are on the rise. In the last two years alone, the volleyball, baseball and football teams all qualified for state for the first time in DC West’s history, and the girls cross country team finished the last two years ranked in the top 6. With so many great things happening in Falcon Nation, it’s no wonder why student participation in sports is at an all time high. Our kids seek to be involved so they can benefit from the life lessons sports can teach.

However, with growth and the desire for continued success comes new challenges we must overcome. We have reached the threshold in who receives access to weight room equipment and must constrain student participation to leverage a mix of new and out-dated equipment. Also, although DC West is thankful to be one of the only schools in Class C-1 with an Athletic Trainer on staff, our equipment is still limited forcing us to send some injured and rehabbing athletes offsite where the family may incur costly medical bills.

In partnership with the DC West School District and the Booster Club, the DC West Schools Foundation is set out to support the weight and training rooms so we can position our programs for long-term success. The school's annual budget supports equipment repairs and upgrades, staffing, classroom materials, and miscellaneous expenses. This year alone, the School District has invested in a new weight and training room and several new pieces of equipment, but the need is not fully met and key constraints still exist. We are on the journey to raise $135k for critical weight and training room equipment that will significantly position our athletics to add more banners to the rafters.

If we reach this goal, the weight room will purchase six racks and other additional equipment enabling weight lifting class sizes to grow by 50% each period allowing 84 more kids to participate in weight lifting class each day. The training room will also receive key PT equipment that will enable more athletes to be treated on campus which will get the athletes back on the field faster and will reducing or eliminating the cost burden to parents.

Continued success on the field, court, diamond or track is multi-dimensional. Great teams are not made only on the practice field, it starts in the weight room and continues in the training room when necessary. Let’s come together once again and set the school district that we love up for long-term success.

Donation Information:

After credit card (2.9% + 30¢) or ACH (1.9% + 30¢) processing fees, all remaining funds will go directly to the investment in band uniforms. The donor has the option to cover processing fees enabling 100% of the donation amount to go directly to this cause.

DC West Schools Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 83-4696949). Board members of the DC West Schools Foundation include DC West administration and staff, community members, and DC West parents. Please check out our website (https://dcwestschoolsfoundation.com) for more information or to contact us at info@dcwestschoolsfoundation.org.

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