Information on Team 217

[Paul Copioli]

Hello everyone,

I posted on this earlier in the year, but I want to elaborate now that we have all the facts straight. Please forgive me if it gets long, but it is a complicated situation that I am trying to simplify.

Team 217 is dormant this year, but is looking for sponsors for next year. Team 217, Team Macomb (Royal Fusion) is a county wide team started for the purpose of spinning off new teams in the county. 2 years ago, 217 spun the L'anse Creuse High School off, which is now sponsored by Delphi. Team Macomb stayed intact. Last year, Warren Consolidated Schools spun off at the end of the season and are sponsored by the General Motors Tech Center in Warren, Mich. Within a few weeks after that spinoff, Team Macomb decided to spin off the Utica Community School District (4 high schools). The Team Macomb Sponsor, Ford Motor Company, decided to sponsor the Utica School District team since 60% of the remaining team was from that disrtict. All the engineers (from Ford, Visteon, and FANUC Robotics) and 3 of the teachers went with the new Ford/Utica team. That left Team Macomb with no engineers or teachers; and very few students.

There are still at least 20 schools in Macomb County without a team so Team Macomb will be born again. This year, The Ford/Utica team and the new GM sponsored team will take all students from the County, until Team Macomb is started agian; so all students in the County, that want to, can participate.

Now, for the stinger. The Ford / Utica Team is new team number 817 (total coincidence). I don't know GM / Warren team number yet, but I'll find out. Team Macomb, 217, has qualified for Nationals due to a Division Champion award at Nats. and a judges award at a regional; but 817 and the GM team do not get any part of that birth. We will be at Nats., but we are going to have to get it the hard way. I feel bad for all the students that worked so hard last year on 217 and will not be able to reap the benefits this year because of the pollenation of new teams.

Anyway, this was meant for informational purposes only and you will see my new team number become 817 in the next few days.

-Paul

[Paul Copioli]

One last thing ... Team 817's nickname: The ThunderChickens


-Paul