Fairfield unveils new mascot ‘T-Roy’

FAIRFIELD – The Trojan Athletic Booster Club is unveiling a new Trojan mascot this year, which fans will see at Fairfield games and during Friday’s Homecoming Parade.

Jim Weaton, president of the Trojan Athletic Booster Club, said the old mascot uniform was heavy and cumbersome, and the club had a hard time finding people willing to wear it.

“Some of us in the booster club happened to be watching the Michigan State-Iowa game, and somebody came up with the idea of investigating one of those Sparty uniforms,” said Weaton, referring to how the Michigan State Spartans have dubbed their mascot “Sparty.”

Booster club members were able to secure a mascot head similar to “Sparty,” which they then “Trojanized” to give it a unique, Fairfield-look. They are calling this new mascot “T-Roy,” a play on the city of “Troy” where “Trojan” comes from. T-Roy has attended a few events already, and will be at Thursday night’s pep rally at Trojan Stadium, which is now known as the Thursday Night Showcase.

“We’re hoping that, during football games, we’ll bring T-Roy out and the public address announcer will say, ‘T-Roy is in the house,’” Weaton said. “T-Roy will do all the fun things on the sidelines, and be with the cheerleaders to get the crowd in the game.”

Weaton said that a group of adults will take turns performing as T-Roy during football season, but the booster club hopes that high school students will assume this responsibility, perhaps as early as basketball season.

In addition to the new mascot, the booster club is putting on a new activity during this year’s Thursday Night Showcase as part of Homecoming Week. The club will have a dunk tank at Trojan Stadium, where students and community members will be able to dunk the district’s coaches and administrators.

The fun begins at 5:30 p.m. that evening with Fairfield Middle School Associate Principal Matt Jones being the first to brave the waters of the dunk tank. He will be followed by FHS Football Coach Nate Weaton at 5:50 p.m., FHS Principal Aiddy Phomvisay at 6:10 p.m., FMS Principal Laura Atwood at 6:30 p.m., FHS Associate Principal Mallory Mahon at 6:50, and FHS Assistant Football Coach Dane Kool at 7:10 p.m.

Apart from the dunk tank, the Thursday Night Showcase will feature performances by the marching band and cheerleaders, a Powderpuff football game, torch run, pep talk and crowning of the 2022 Homecoming King and Queen.

On Friday, the booster club is bringing back an event it debuted last year, and that is the All Fairfield Trojan Football Alumni Tour, which begins at 5 p.m. and includes a tour of Trojan Stadium with a walk down its historic tunnel, which was remodeled last year. The tunnel dates back to 1939, and the idea to remodel it was spearheaded by Jim Weaton and others from the booster club, who sought to restore its former glory.

At 6:30 p.m., participants in the tour will welcome the current players onto the field, and will receive a commemorative Trojan sideline pass.

“We’re hoping this catches on and becomes a tradition,” Weaton said. “It’s a historic stadium and a historic tunnel. When you think about how many kids have run out that tunnel, it’s pretty amazing.”

To RSVP for the tour, contact Sarah Godwin at sarah.godwin@fairfieldsfuture.org or by calling 641-472-5253.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com