Local students work to raise cash for World FIRST Robotics Championship

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – One group of local students is close to reaching their fundraising goal to participate in the World FIRST Robotics Championship in Texas.

According to the Myrtle Beach City Government Facebook page, Team Aluminum Assault is $8,000 away from raising the money they need to go to the World FIRST Robotics Championship in Houston, Texas.

The team is comprised of pre-engineering students from the Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology.

A post on the team’s Facebook page says at the end of the Palmetto Regional FIRST awards ceremony, Aluminum Assault earned a “Wild Card” bid to advance to the World Championship due to their overall high ranking at the end of the tournament. The page says the team placed second overall in the regional FIRST Robotics Competition after a close loss in the last moments of the tournament. Aluminum Assault also won the “Gracious Professionalism” award after sponsors and team members helped many other neighboring teams with coding and robot -building.

The team has raised $22,000, and needs to raise the remaining funds by Friday, April 14.

The goal amount of $30,000 would cover travel, lodging and meals for the team. Aluminum Assault has about 25 students and also plans to send along five or ten mentors and chaperones.