[Lavapicker]

We're out this year! It's our third year and losing the NASA money along with the $1000 increase has done us in. We need about $22,000 to bring a modest size team from Hawaii to a regional. We have to fly so that accounts for over half our budget. We have no option of driving to a regional to save money. $600 car washes don't put much of a dent in $22,000 in bills!!!! It seems a shame to me to be part of the United States and yet the high cost of flying has left us out as orphans from these National competitions. I'm hoping we can save up enough over a two year cycle to still compete but in the meantime we are also entering MATE (underwater robot contest) to keep the interest up. Hope we can make it back...its had a great impact on our students but we may have to look at more affordable models instead.
Aloha,
team 1056
Hilo, HI