2006 Wisconsin Regional Thanks and Congrats

[Ricky Q.]

I have thanks and congrats to give out from 2 perspectives: a WI Regional Planning Committee Member and from my team.

First off, thank you to the other members of the WI Regional Committee (John, Carla, Laurie, Craig, Kevin, Jason, Ted, Jon, and Marc), you guys are awesome. We put together a great regional and worked great togther. From our first meetings last summer, I knew we had something special.

Special thanks to Susan Lawrence, FIRST's Midwest Region Director, for all your help. You helped us all through our first year doing this and were always there for us.

Thanks to all the volunteers, without you this would not have happened.

Thank you to all the FIRST Veteran Volunteers who came to Milwaukee and helped us out tremendously. These included Mark Koors, Andy Baker, Larry Lowell, Dan Green, Paul Copioli, Al S., Eric Rasmussen, Greg McCoy and many others. Thank you!

Thanks to Dean Simmons and the Kamen Brothers for coming all the way up to Wisconsin from your world tour. You rocked the zoo. Also thanks to all the volunteers who made all the food, you guys were amazing.

And thank you to all the teams who came to Milwaukee and strutted their stuff, that was one of the most intense FIRST competitions I have ever seen.

Now for the team stuff, thanks to my team for having patience with me as I balanced planning the regional, mentoring, and being field coach for #269. You had faith in me and it helped tons.

Thanks to 1108 and 81 for being some great partners in the elims. 1108, I better see you in Atlanta now, Congrats on the awesome Chairman's Win.

Congrats to 111, 1625, and 1816 on being the winners. And to 70, 494, 1739 for putting up a tough fight.

Congrats to all award winners, these teams were a special bunch.

And finally, congratulations and thank you to the WI Woodie Flowers Finalist Winner Bob Blersch. This is the man who brought FIRST to Oconomowoc, and he brought FIRST to me as well. I was a lost puppy in my first year at OHS in 2002 until this guy pointed me in the direction of #269. He is an amazing FIRST mentor and teacher, I can't even begin to describe how much he means to me and to everyone involved with our team. Thanks Bob, and congrats.