[Cory]

If you look hard enough, you will find the money. For months my team moaned that there was no money to be had, that everyone had nothing to give, etc, etc.

Fact of the matter is, when our team actually tried to raise money, we did. In a period of 3 weeks to 1 month, we raised over 13,000 dollars.

There is money out there. Sure, it isn't as much as say 4-5 years ago before the recession of our economy, but it is there. It's all a matter of how hard you look.

I do not care where you live. I do not care how many people you have on your team, if the parents are rich, or poor. None of that matters. If you try, and I mean actually *try*, not make halfhearted attempts to raise money, I guarentee you can find the extra money needed.

To get back on topic, I think this is a good thing. The value of everything we get in the KOP, plus a regional event is worth far more than $5,000. Paying another $1000 isn't fun, but as Jessica said, FIRST cannot always run on a loss. Even though it may not seem like it, the extra $1000 fee is benefitting everyone in the end.

$0.02 Cory