Metea Valley's Toole wants
to kick COVID-19 to the curb
By Dave Owen
The COVID-19 virus has essentially put everyone and everything in a holding pattern since mid-March.
But Metea Valley junior Livvy Toole figured the time to sit still and wait was over.
Denied the chance to play soccer so far this spring by the suspension of games, Toole took the initiative last week to combat the virus with a charitable effort.
“As a team we were trying to come up with something we could do,” Toole said. “Someone on our team wanted to do a blood drive, and we were going to put together a video (to promote that).
“The problem we had was people not being able to leave their homes: ‘My parents won’t let me leave; I can’t donate blood; I have to stay home.’ So we wanted to find something to do where people don’t have to leave their home, because that is an issue right now.”
Thus came another idea.
“Then we thought about what we could do that can substantially help now,” Toole said. “The hospitals and these nurses and patients that are going in, they need supplies. So if we could, we wanted to organize something where people can donate.”
That concept quickly became reality April 10 and developed into donations of good, money and gift cards to Edward Hospital in Naperville and others involved in treating COVID-19.
“Basically we sent an e-mail to the whole (Metea) soccer program, both boys and girls,” Toole said, “and also to some of our friends and neighbors just to try to get the word out more.
“We had them fill out a form with what they were going to be donating, and I texted all the phone numbers the night before, with ‘Hey, just a reminder to put your stuff out tomorrow by 10, and we’ll come and pick it up.’”
The result was a busy, cautious, yet very successful Friday.
“Me and a teammate Jocelyn Grabow went out and picked up supplies on people’s porches,” Toole said, “and we wore gloves and masks so we weren’t really at harm. And almost everyone had the stuff out ready for us. It all went very smoothly.”
The donations from over 25 Metea Valley families were impressive.
“Six packages of disinfectant wipes, 20 packages of paper (bags), four boxes of gloves, about 20 packages of coffee for break rooms, disposable coffee cups and creamers,” Toole said. “Then we also had an option of donating gift cards (for first responders to use at local restaurants), and we got about 45 gift cards in $10 increments.
“We also had $200 in cash donations, and will donate that to Naperville Helps (a local charity organization), to distribute the money to different first responders around Naperville.”
It was an impressive effort, spearheaded by someone who Metea Valley coach Chris Whaley has long been impressed with.
“Livvy really is such a great kid,” Whaley said of the junior forward. “She is about as easy to like as anybody in the program. She’s funny. She works hard. She’s always smiling; she just has a great attitude.
“With a little help from a few of her friends, she took this whole idea and just ran with it. And I couldn’t be more proud.”
Toole preferred to share credit for the effort.
“I got a lot of help from my coaches,” she said. “They sent out the e-mail to their friends and the boys (soccer) team, because we don’t have all their e-mail addresses.”
And Toole isn’t making it a one-time effort.
“We are doing another one of these for next Friday (April 24),” Toole said. “Because I felt so good about it (last week), this makes me want to do it more.
“That was kind of a test run, and now we’re going to try to reach out to other teams. Have the baseball program send (the e-mail) out, the softball program, volleyball. Just to get word out. And if more people donate, more of my teammates will be able to pick stuff up.”
Beyond the types of items collected last week, things like N95 masks, hand sanitizer, materials for handmade masks (bandanas, packages of hair ties, elastic) and safety goggles are also being sought.
Those wishing to donate can go to https://forms.gle/BGcoQaps4hCS81sK9 or contact Metea Valley assistant coach Rachel Bostick ([email protected]).
Toole’s response to help those in need during this crisis has been impressive.
On the soccer field last spring, she provided a similar lift to the Mustangs at a time of need.
Her first varsity goal came at an ideal time: the regional semifinals. Toole’s goal gave Metea Valley a 1-0 lead en route to a 3-0 win over Oswego East.
“That was exciting,” said Toole, who also played basketball as a freshman at Metea before focusing on soccer. “I had struggled with a bunch of injuries last year with my ankle. So it was nice being able to come back and kind of prove to people that I can be a good player.
“The whole season I was kind of almost sad,” Toole added. “I didn’t get as much playing time, because I was injured, so when I was able to get the playing time I wanted to prove myself to my team and my coaches. That was really cool for me. And all my teammates were so excited. It was really nice.”
Things got even nicer for the Mustangs, who went on to beat Lockport 2-1 in the regional final.
A narrow 1-0 sectional semifinal loss to eventual Class 3A state champion Naperville North ended Metea’s run. But heading into 2020 with an experienced and talented nucleus, confidence was understandably high.
“Honestly, this is one of my favorite teams,” Toole said.
Then came the season delay, at least until May 1 and perhaps beyond. But while the fate of the season is cloudy, Toole’s optimism remains bright.
“This year if we have a season, I don’t want to come off as cocky or anything but I feel really good about this team,” Toole said. “Especially with our defense, we have Paige Buranosky, Nicole Dawson – all of our defense is good and of course in goal (with Valparaiso-bound goalkeeper Nikki Coryell). We’re really hoping for the season.
“Because we were more of a defensive team, that always worked better for us in the past. But I feel we’re slowly as time goes on improving more and more offensively. We have a couple good freshmen coming in at forward, and a couple midfielders. We’re moving up.”
And while the Mustangs aren’t allowed to play right now, a huge win of another kind came with the first donation pickup.
“Everything is so different,” Toole said of the COVID-19 shutdown. “It’s one of those things where you want to help, but you really just don’t know how right now.”
If the question was how to help, Toole and the Metea Valley soccer program have come up with a very impressive answer.
“Our program really focuses on a couple of things,” Whaley said. “The first is hard work, but we talk about how important it is to have fun and enjoy what we do.
“We also spend a lot of time building relationships with each other and around our community, and Livvy really embraces that idea.”
to kick COVID-19 to the curb
By Dave Owen
The COVID-19 virus has essentially put everyone and everything in a holding pattern since mid-March.
But Metea Valley junior Livvy Toole figured the time to sit still and wait was over.
Denied the chance to play soccer so far this spring by the suspension of games, Toole took the initiative last week to combat the virus with a charitable effort.
“As a team we were trying to come up with something we could do,” Toole said. “Someone on our team wanted to do a blood drive, and we were going to put together a video (to promote that).
“The problem we had was people not being able to leave their homes: ‘My parents won’t let me leave; I can’t donate blood; I have to stay home.’ So we wanted to find something to do where people don’t have to leave their home, because that is an issue right now.”
Thus came another idea.
“Then we thought about what we could do that can substantially help now,” Toole said. “The hospitals and these nurses and patients that are going in, they need supplies. So if we could, we wanted to organize something where people can donate.”
That concept quickly became reality April 10 and developed into donations of good, money and gift cards to Edward Hospital in Naperville and others involved in treating COVID-19.
“Basically we sent an e-mail to the whole (Metea) soccer program, both boys and girls,” Toole said, “and also to some of our friends and neighbors just to try to get the word out more.
“We had them fill out a form with what they were going to be donating, and I texted all the phone numbers the night before, with ‘Hey, just a reminder to put your stuff out tomorrow by 10, and we’ll come and pick it up.’”
The result was a busy, cautious, yet very successful Friday.
“Me and a teammate Jocelyn Grabow went out and picked up supplies on people’s porches,” Toole said, “and we wore gloves and masks so we weren’t really at harm. And almost everyone had the stuff out ready for us. It all went very smoothly.”
The donations from over 25 Metea Valley families were impressive.
“Six packages of disinfectant wipes, 20 packages of paper (bags), four boxes of gloves, about 20 packages of coffee for break rooms, disposable coffee cups and creamers,” Toole said. “Then we also had an option of donating gift cards (for first responders to use at local restaurants), and we got about 45 gift cards in $10 increments.
“We also had $200 in cash donations, and will donate that to Naperville Helps (a local charity organization), to distribute the money to different first responders around Naperville.”
It was an impressive effort, spearheaded by someone who Metea Valley coach Chris Whaley has long been impressed with.
“Livvy really is such a great kid,” Whaley said of the junior forward. “She is about as easy to like as anybody in the program. She’s funny. She works hard. She’s always smiling; she just has a great attitude.
“With a little help from a few of her friends, she took this whole idea and just ran with it. And I couldn’t be more proud.”
Toole preferred to share credit for the effort.
“I got a lot of help from my coaches,” she said. “They sent out the e-mail to their friends and the boys (soccer) team, because we don’t have all their e-mail addresses.”
And Toole isn’t making it a one-time effort.
“We are doing another one of these for next Friday (April 24),” Toole said. “Because I felt so good about it (last week), this makes me want to do it more.
“That was kind of a test run, and now we’re going to try to reach out to other teams. Have the baseball program send (the e-mail) out, the softball program, volleyball. Just to get word out. And if more people donate, more of my teammates will be able to pick stuff up.”
Beyond the types of items collected last week, things like N95 masks, hand sanitizer, materials for handmade masks (bandanas, packages of hair ties, elastic) and safety goggles are also being sought.
Those wishing to donate can go to https://forms.gle/BGcoQaps4hCS81sK9 or contact Metea Valley assistant coach Rachel Bostick ([email protected]).
Toole’s response to help those in need during this crisis has been impressive.
On the soccer field last spring, she provided a similar lift to the Mustangs at a time of need.
Her first varsity goal came at an ideal time: the regional semifinals. Toole’s goal gave Metea Valley a 1-0 lead en route to a 3-0 win over Oswego East.
“That was exciting,” said Toole, who also played basketball as a freshman at Metea before focusing on soccer. “I had struggled with a bunch of injuries last year with my ankle. So it was nice being able to come back and kind of prove to people that I can be a good player.
“The whole season I was kind of almost sad,” Toole added. “I didn’t get as much playing time, because I was injured, so when I was able to get the playing time I wanted to prove myself to my team and my coaches. That was really cool for me. And all my teammates were so excited. It was really nice.”
Things got even nicer for the Mustangs, who went on to beat Lockport 2-1 in the regional final.
A narrow 1-0 sectional semifinal loss to eventual Class 3A state champion Naperville North ended Metea’s run. But heading into 2020 with an experienced and talented nucleus, confidence was understandably high.
“Honestly, this is one of my favorite teams,” Toole said.
Then came the season delay, at least until May 1 and perhaps beyond. But while the fate of the season is cloudy, Toole’s optimism remains bright.
“This year if we have a season, I don’t want to come off as cocky or anything but I feel really good about this team,” Toole said. “Especially with our defense, we have Paige Buranosky, Nicole Dawson – all of our defense is good and of course in goal (with Valparaiso-bound goalkeeper Nikki Coryell). We’re really hoping for the season.
“Because we were more of a defensive team, that always worked better for us in the past. But I feel we’re slowly as time goes on improving more and more offensively. We have a couple good freshmen coming in at forward, and a couple midfielders. We’re moving up.”
And while the Mustangs aren’t allowed to play right now, a huge win of another kind came with the first donation pickup.
“Everything is so different,” Toole said of the COVID-19 shutdown. “It’s one of those things where you want to help, but you really just don’t know how right now.”
If the question was how to help, Toole and the Metea Valley soccer program have come up with a very impressive answer.
“Our program really focuses on a couple of things,” Whaley said. “The first is hard work, but we talk about how important it is to have fun and enjoy what we do.
“We also spend a lot of time building relationships with each other and around our community, and Livvy really embraces that idea.”