Author: legoadmin

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FRC Sponsorship

Sponsorship Update 10.13.11

News you can use!!!

When I spoke with the regional rep from FIRST he guaranteed me that we would receive one of two things.  Either $5,000 start up grant from a fund he “manages” or a $6,500 Rookie team grant from JCPenney.  We are still waiting for final approval from the JCPenney store, so I do not know which we have, but it is AT LEAST $5,000 for the FRC competition team!!!

We have secured a build location which is considered an “in kind” sponsorship.  The value of that is probably around $1,000.  There is build space, some practice space, and WIFI for our use while on site.

We still need to raise $2-$4,000.  I have a sponsorship brochure in publisher format.  I will have some printed for the meeting on October 24th (7pm).  (If anyone has a good quality color copier at their disposal that could print more, let me know)  The request we will be making is for funds from the sponsor’s 2012 budget.  We truly will not need the bulk of the money until January.  (We need $6500 by 11/30/11 so depending on which grant we receive we may need $1500 now)  Many companies are doing their budgets for next year now, so if we get in the door and ask before those are finalized we may be able to ask them to plan on helping us both this year and sustaining us in future years.

Please be thinking of businesses that you would be comfortable approaching.  There are levels of sponsorship from $100 to $5000 so we do not need to all go to the biggest manufacturer in town to seek out funds.  You may also want to make a tax deductible donation yourself.  That is OK too!  I will have the Chamber of Commerce and Pennysaver Business directories on hand, so that you can “claim” your sponsor and we will not all go to the same companies.

See you all soon!!!!

Don’t forget to invite friends that may want to be a part of this!  IT IS REALLY HAPPENING!!!!!

Categories
FRC Updates

The first of MANY!

WOW!!

This is the first of, what I assume will be many posts to this blog.  It seemed that it might be better to let you check on your own rather than fill your email boxes with messages every time something great happens.

What has happened since September 26th?  Alot!

I made a great contact with a gentlemen from FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of science and Technology) we had a face to face meeting and he made some very good points as to why we should go FRC rather than FTC with the older kids.  It boils down to the location of the events, we would spend just as much traveling to compete as we will on the bigger robot.  Then he completed the JcPenney Grant application (that we thought we had started) and suggested to them that we would be a match for their Batavia Store (we meet the criteria, ie distance)  He hopes we will hear about that next week.  That is a $6500 grant for rookie teams.   If that does not go through, he has $5000 grants available to us.  Locally teams are using 8-10K per year on this program so we will need to come up with 3-5K more in sponsors.  Mr. Pearson and possibly a mentor from a CCHS team will be joining us at the October meeting.

We have contacted Sigma and I am in the process of writing another grant application.  I will have a Sponsorship plan to present at the next meeting, I just need to find time between emails and blogs to set it up.  :)

I am also fairly certain that we have a shop donated for us to work on “the build” portion of this challenge.  I am also talking with an engineer friend from Rochester to see if he knows any engineers willing to volunteer to help the kids in January and February.  The build time will be January 7- February 21st.

LEGO NXT kids….  YOU HAVE NOT BEEN FORGOTTEN!

There will be 4 or 5 NXT kits at the October 24th meeting, you will be building some simple robots THAT NIGHT!  The plan right now is to register you with FLL later on.  The FIRST rep that I am working with believes he can have the challenge stuff donated to us after the Rochester qualifer so we will have all year to get sponsors and such to sign up our rookie team(s) next year.  Bring your friends!

I encourage you all to come with the same excitement you had when you left a couple weeks ago.  GOOD STUFF IS HAPPENING.  It is just happening so fast it is hard to keep you all “in the loop”

I know I said this before…..but WE NEED A NAME(S)!!!!  Brain storm names!  Words like:  Thunder, lightning, Orleans, Head, Heart, Hands, Health, 4-H, Blizzard, Raiders, Flash, Storm, Power….You get the idea….  String a couple words together and you have a suggestion.  Write them down and bring them with you.  The FRC and FLL can each have a different name if you decide that is what you want!