COLUMBUS, Ind. — In just a few days, Columbus’ Team 4926 known as GalacTech will compete with robotics teams from all over the country and world attempting to win an international championship.
Before that happens, however, they’ve got another big challenge — such as how to raise $20,000 in roughly 24 hours.
That’s just one of the things on Team 4926’s to-do-list as the group prepares to compete at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Championship in Houston, said Columbus Robotics president and team founder Sam Geckler.
The local robotics team, nicknamed “GalacTech,” was part of the winning alliance at the state championships this past weekend, which qualified it for the international championship. The turnaround between the two events is short to say the least; qualification matches for the FIRST Championship begin this Thursday and continue on Friday, with playoffs and finals on Saturday.
“It wasn’t an expected event, so it’s a pleasant madness right now,” said Geckler.
As the team seeks to raise funds for the trip, they’ve gotten in touch with sponsors who helped support a recent competition held at Columbus East High School in March. Geckler also expects there to be a GoFundMe campaign.
Another complicated aspect of the trip is logistics. Not all of the team members are going to Houston at the same time or in the same way. Some families are driving to the event, but most of the team will be flying.
Pits open on Wednesday for technical inspection and set up, said Geckler, and they’ll need some team members in Houston that morning to prepare. Their robot is already on its way to Texas; after state championships, it was loaded into wooden crates along with other equipment.
“We came home with nothing but medals,” said Geckler.
For more on this story, including more photos, see Tuesday’s Republic.
