[BB]: Good News

[JackS]

Good Afternoon Teams,

Since TIMS opened one week ago today, 301 teams have logged in and updated their team profile. 69 of those teams are 2012 rookies and 195 are now ready for event registration.

I’m happy to announce, registration fees will hold steady this year. Registration for FRC Veteran teams who participated in 2011, 2010 or 2009 will be $5,000 and registration for Rookies and FRC teams that did not participate in 2011, 2010 or 2009 will be $6,500. Participation in each additional 2012 Regional Event will be $4,000. My thanks to everyone in the office, in the field and on the staff of our many suppliers and contractors who worked hard this year to hold costs down and keep these fees steady. I’ll announce registration fees for the district qualification events as soon as the final decision is made.

I can’t share the final competition schedule yet, but I can tell you the two newest Regional events will be in Miami, FL and Fresno, CA. In addition, Dallas, TX is hoping to host their first ever double field event which will bring the projected total number of FRC Regional Events to 54 this year (we still don’t have final contracts from some of the locations so that number is still tentative.)

The GDC will be onsite this weekend to work on the 2013 game. The FRC staff on the first floor are busy today setting up field elements and cleaning up in preparation. Yes, we do clean our room before the GDC arrives. Wouldn’t you?

We’re conducting interviews for the replacement Field Maintenance person this week and not a moment too soon. We’re building two additional competition fields this year bringing the total number of fields on the road to 19 (if you include the one packaged and staged for emergency deployment if something should happen to one of the other fields as it travels between events).

Volunteer Coordinators held their first conference call for the 2012 season yesterday. Yes, it takes almost 6 months to put on a Regional Event and these key volunteers are already working to make sure there are volunteers trained and at the ready for your first event.

Finally, I’ve been told there will be an ad for FIRST in the ‘Top Charities’ section of USA Today this week. I haven’t seen it. Have you?

114 days until Kickoff
See you then!

• Fresno CA gets regional
• Dallas gets second field
• Event contracts (still...) not done
• Cost of regional stays the same
• FIRST ad in USA Today in the coming days

Shoutout to RC and LYT of 1323 and 1671 for getting a regional in Fresno.