Regional & Championship Tsunami Appeal

[Jacqui Sutton]

FIRST, we all know what it stands for, and we all know that the true values of FIRST go hand in hand with Gracious Professionalism. However, FIRST has the potential to serve as a vehicle for so much more than that. FIRST has the ability to capture the true human spirit: teamwork, compassion, groups working together and helping each other to achieve miraculous things... typically, on a professional and academic level. '05 ended on anything but a typical note for millions of people though, and perhaps, this warrants an atypical response at this years Regional and Championship Events.

I know it's not my place to say - I'm not actually an active FIRST participant these days, and I can't do anything to further my suggestions - for the very few who might remember - maybe a couple of brits and a couple of special people in Grundy, VA - I'm actually in Australia these days, in a state where there is no team. But...in Grundy, I was part of an awesome team, and I havent forgotten what that team was capable of...Despite a tight budget, it was not beyond 388's reach to help out another team when in need - it just meant a couple of extra fundraisers.

Just think...if each and every team, over 1000 now, did one or two extra fundraisers this year and united at the regional and championship competitions to help the countries in South East Asia to rebuild life --- FIRST would not only be inspiring and recognising science and technology and all that it usually does, but also, humanitarianism. It appears as though the money is just rolling into that region at the moment, I know that the Australian Government has pledged $1B, and in the last 4 days alone, the Australian public has donated an additional $40M to hundreds of millions already donated by the public... However, when the media moves on to other stories and we get caught up with all that is going on in our own lives once again, I fear it may be forgotten that so many millions dont have the option to go on with their lives as they once were anymore. The competitions are usually held in April, or May? if I recall? By then, I'm sure the media will have found other news..and the money flowing to the relief effort will have slowed

As I said, it's not my place to say, and I'm sorry that this post has been wordy... But I know the events of the 26th of December last year have touched so many people, and I'm hoping that someone out there reading this post, in the spirit of FIRST, might be able to get something going for the Regional/Championship events this year...lest we forget. Thanks for your time...And good luck to all of you for this years competition! Hopefully Australia will join you in the near future.
jacs

[Petey]

This is meant to be a preview--we'll be debuting it at Manchvegas.

But Team 1073 is organizing--has been, for the better part of a year--a fundraising "front": a network that we hope to extend through the rest of the FIRST family. An offseason, fundraising "competition", where teams would "compete" to see who could raise the most money for a booby prize, and then all the teams involved would vote to see who they wanted the whole pot to go to, and whatever established charity gets the most votes would receive the entire pot of money.


www.projecthelpinghands.com

Please don't steal our concept--help us implement it.

If you're interested, PM, email, or IM me.

Thanks,

--Petey

p.s. Realized the connection to this thread might not be clear, but a Tsunami relief fund could be a good choice for a charity.

[ClicheCow]

not to knock your idea, but most charity organizations have stopped accepting/are about to stop accepting donations for the tsunami relief, as they already have way more than is necessary. There are plenty of other good ways to donate your money.

[Greg Needel]

Originally Posted by ClicheCow

not to knock your idea, but most charity organizations have stopped accepting/are about to stop accepting donations for the tsunami relief, as they already have way more than is necessary. There are plenty of other good ways to donate your money.

I agree with clechecow that there are many other deserving charities that are having to struggle with donations because so much money is going over seas. not to put down Tsunami relief because they defiantly need it but there are many organizations that still require support on the home front, where the amount of money raised by FIRST teams could actually be appreciated instead of just a penny in a jar of hundred dollar bills

[Aignam]

A national run-by-FIRST-teams annual grant to save dying veteran teams or help needy rookie teams.

...is that possible?

[Petey]

Originally Posted by Greg Needel

I agree with clechecow that there are many other deserving charities that are having to struggle with donations because so much money is going over seas. not to put down Tsunami relief because they defiantly need it but there are many organizations that still require support on the home front, where the amount of money raised by FIRST teams could actually be appreciated instead of just a penny in a jar of hundred dollar bills

That's part of the motivation behind www.projecthelpinghands.com--that, and being able to combine so much money into one pot that it would be more noticeable.

--Petey

[unapiedra]

Originally Posted by Greg Needel

I agree with clechecow that there are many other deserving charities that are having to struggle with donations because so much money is going over seas. not to put down Tsunami relief because they defiantly need it but there are many organizations that still require support on the home front, where the amount of money raised by FIRST teams could actually be appreciated instead of just a penny in a jar of hundred dollar bills

Why just donate money? It would be great to adapt a team there (or some place else).

There are a lot of countries where students like us are not given such a big opportunity. So besides that it is a good idea to donate money why not support a team some where else in this world.
There is a lot what needs to be done and doing so gives you also new aspects on how to solve problems due to cultural differences.

Get it going!