As the FIRST Robotics World Championship approaches, Metro Detroit school robotics teams face significant financial hurdles that threaten their participation in this prestigious event.
Despite their hard work and dedication throughout the year, sponsors’ loss of financial support has made travel to the competition increasingly tricky.
Two local school districts, East China School District and Pontiac, have reported losing sponsors due to economic challenges.
Teams like Flurb from East China School District and Wings of Fire Robotics in Pontiac are scrambling to raise thousands of dollars to send their members to Houston for next week’s competition.
At the Wings of Fire workshop in Pontiac’s International Technology Academy, the atmosphere is tense as the team prepares for the upcoming event.
Team 51 is currently fine-tuning its robot, “Phoenix 4.0.”
Bryce Brown, a member of the team, is busy yet hopeful, saying, “We’re hoping to bring home a banner this year.”
The excitement is palpable as the team counts down the days to the FIRST Robotics World Championship.
Bryce elaborated on the scale of the competition, saying, “States is huge, and states are four times bigger than the district. The Championship is like eight times bigger than states, so it’s like very, very huge.”
A total of 29 members from Wings of Fire are scheduled to attend, including senior Omar Campos, who emphasized the opportunities that the World Championship presents.
“There are many companies that go out there, including automotive, technology, and even defense companies,” said Campos.
However, the team is currently facing a significant challenge: securing funding to cover their travel expenses.
With several sponsors backing out this year due to economic constraints, the team and its mentors are working tirelessly behind the scenes to find alternative funding sources.
Team mentor, Hon. Jeremy Bowie, highlighted the commitment of the students.
“They come to class. They show up here. They give hours upon hours to this program when they could be anywhere else, doing anything else,” said Bowie.
Wings of Fire and its supporters are aiming to raise $25,000 before the team departs next Tuesday.
Omar Campos mentioned the importance of innovation and networking in their fundraising efforts.
“We’re being innovative, talking to people, trying to make these connections that can lead to more funds,” Campus said.
A 501(c)(3) organization, Pontiac Robotics, has been established to facilitate fundraising.
Bowie and other supporters are urging members of the community to contribute.
“We’re looking for long-term partnerships to come in and keep this program running,” said Bowie.
The robotics team remains optimistic about their chances at the competition, confident that they will return with a banner to share with their supporters.
“Anything helps at this point. It’s really just getting a little bit here and there to really push us over the edge, kind of creeping closer and closer. So, we’re appreciative of everything we get,” Brown said.
Wings of Fire and Team Flurb Robotics have set up links and opportunities for community members to donate or assist with sponsorships and support.
Donations to Wings of Fire can be submitted by clicking here.