#paydirt2015 Sponsors Keep the Hub Running

Recently someone asked why Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics needs sponsors to operate. As we ticked through the list of items we have to purchase using donated funds, it occurred to us that others might not know what the hub does in the background to keep the competition going.

This is a list of some of the purchases made in 2014 to provide the BEST Robotics competition for our area:

• Facility - We spent $2,250 to rent the facility for game day
• Hub License Fee - The annual hub license fee to be part of BEST Robotics is $2,000
• Kits - We spend more than $9,600 to purchase kits (returnable and consumable) in 2014. 
• Food - More than $1,400 was spent for food, which included feeding all participants for kick off day, and providing meals for volunteers on game day and other BEST events. 
• T-Shirts and Name Badges - More than $3,500 was spent on Tshirts, staff shirts, and name badges. Most hubs do not give Tshirts to every participant. However, due to the generosity of our sponsors, we are able to give every participant a Tshirt. 
• Awards - Trophies and plaques cost more than $500 in 2014. 
• Playing Field - The playing field materials cost approximately $1,500 for 2014. 

We receive a great deal of support from NACC and funds from a state workforce grant. However, the rest of the funds (about $10,000 per year) come from donations and sponsorships from local industry. A typical sponsorship for us is $500 so we depend on many sponsors to assure that we can keep this opportunity available in our area.

Interested in sponsoring BEST? Check out our Sponsor page here.