BeerSheets for FRC Team 3650
This page is for charitable donations from fans of BeerSheets, a fantasy football cheat sheet. Previously the donations went to a charity fantasy football league that did wonderful things.
In 2013 $1016 was raised which was evenly split between the Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesotaand Loma Linda University Children's Hospital. Both have played a significant role in helping their communities and children.
In 2014 $2460 was raised. $1640 went to a scholarship for Harper College Speech & Theater, a program that helps kids develop their communication skills and making it easier for them to finish college sets them up for future success. $820 went to Illuminate Academy, which helps children who are on the autism spectrum by providing a tailored learning environment to children to allow them to further their education.
In 2015 $4482 was raised and all of it went to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a non-profit organization that combats hate, intolerance and discrimination through education and litigation. These donations were made in memory of Aric Matthew Kleppin, who went by "wheez the roux" on the SomethingAwful forums and was a beloved member of the community.
In 2016 $4247 was raised. $2832 went to Charles County Public Schools FIRST Robotics Competition Team 3650, a high school STEM outreach program that brings together students and STEM professionals in a sophisticated robotics-based design competition. The remaining $1415 went to the Dallas Affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a a grassroots family and consumer self-help organization dedicated to relieving the effects of severe mental illness known as biological brain diseases on individuals, family members, and society through support, education, advocacy, and research.
In 2017 $2331 was raised. $771 went to the Downtown Women's Center, the only organization in Los Angeles focused exclusively on serving and empowering women experiencing homelessness and formerly homeless women. Their mission is to end homelessness for women in greater Los Angeles through housing, wellness, and advocacy. $1542 went to Charity:Water, a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.
In 2018 my workload was too high to run a league, so instead I allocated all donations to FIRST Robotics Competition Team 3650, the "Robo-Raptors." Donors like you helped raise $4025, which was used to pay for meals and miscellaneous team expenses, purchase two new laptops to run the robot, and provide a much needed stipend to our teacher.
In 2019 you all generously donated $2,961 which was instrumental in purchasing some major equipment for the team, including new tool carts and raw material so the students had an easier time of moving their equipment to competition events.
2020 saw the team unfortunately suffer from COVID and be unable to compete, but the $3872 you raised along with any donations this year will be applied to the 2021 season to support registration, travel expenses, equipment, and any other crucial supplies. Should COVID circumstances cause another problem the funds will instead be applied to other STEM outreach activities in the DC/MD/VA area.
Thank you so much for considering a donation!
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a high school program that brings together tens of thousands of students from around the world to inspure them into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers. Students are given six weeks to design, prototype, and build robots designed to meet a unique challenge. Part sporting event and part technology expo, the competition forces students to learn valuable skills including teamwork, communication, engineering, programming, machining, and leadership.
The robots are large, weighing up to 165 pounds and costing thousands of dollars. Students build the majority of the robot from scratch, and have to cut, machine, wire, and assemble components and structures. The challenge is different every year and always brings about new solutions. Every robot is as unique as the students building them.
The results are phenomenal. FRC is extremely effective at inspiring students into STEM careers, and those students are often far more prepared for the challenges of higher education than their peers. I personally started as a FIRST student and became a mechanical engineer as a result.
Unfortunately this project is not cheap. Registration is $5000, robots cost several thousand dollars to build, and there are numerous ancilliary costs such as travel and food. Your donations will directly go towards aiding FIRST Team 3650 of Charles County, MD. This team has been serving the Charles County Public Education System since 2011. Based in Maurice J. McDonough High School, the team includes students from all over the county. Graduates of the program have become scientists and engineers in a variety of organizations, including the US Navy.
Your donations will be used to cover team expenses, purchase robot parts, and help with travel costs so that the impact on the students is minimized. Every dollar will have a measurable impact on a child's life, and help inspire them to become the next generation of innovators and leaders.
