#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. 

National Robotics Week T Shirt Day

Hi, everyone!

In honor of National Robotics Week 2014 we are asking everyone who participated in BEST Robotics in 2013 to wear their Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics Game Day shirt on Wednesday, April 9, 2104.

Be sure to let everyone in your school know that you are proud to be a part of BEST Robotics by wearing this shirt on April 9. We will be announcing some associated contests later on, so watch this page for details.

Remember also that sponsors of Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics make it possible to provide these shirts to everyone free of charge. This gives us an opportunity to show that we are proudly wearing the shirts they gave us!

Teams are also encouraged to pick another day that week to wear their team's Tshirt. But please reserve April 9 for Northeast Alabama BEST Tshirts.

Again, watch this site for more details!