This last Saturday was an exciting and chilly day. Our team volunteered to help at our local Beechwood Elementary with their FIRST Lego League Qualifier Championship. This event was the first qualifier match of their FLL season.

The event coordinator, Mrs. Kristy Brannon, reached out to our team, asking us if we would showcase our skills by bringing one of our bots to the competition. So we brought Bessie, last year’s competition robot, for our demonstration. We set up in the lobby for our demonstration. We caught many people’s attention by having Bessie pick up cones and bottles, stack them, and bring them to people. The kids were curious about our Bessie as it rolled into the gym. They were excited to see a bot made of metal instead of Legos. 

While we volunteered and did our demonstration, we distributed flyers and talked with the parents and kids about what we do as a FIRST Tech Challenge Team. Some of our teammates spoke to the FLL teams about how they organize their teams and what they enjoy about being in the Lego League. Bessie even had her own fan club following her as she maneuvered around the gym.

The kids’ effort and creativity in using Legos to build robots were easy to see when they were both on the field and in their pits. Watching the teams persevere through their challenges was inspiring, especially at such a young age. One team even made up their own game with 3-D printed pieces, displaying impressive skill and thought. Hopefully, they will join us and our robotics in the future.

It was an amazing day interacting with all the Lego League teams and helping with the event. It was fantastic to talk, exchange ideas, and even make a few new friends. We hope we made a positive impact on these groups of kids and inspired them to join us and other FTC teams. Thank you, Mrs. Kristy Brannon, for inviting us out to help. We’d also like to say, “Hey, good job!” to the Bovina Brainiacs for their victory in the first qualifier championship.