NASA

The existence of our team is primarily due to NASA. NASA offers several grants to first year teams, one of which is targeted towards first-year teams. During our first year we applied for one of these grants and our team was accepted for sponsorship. NASA covered our registration costs which take up a large bulk of our annual budget. Without this aid our team would have never been able to compete in the 2008 season as rookies. For this we are forever in debt to NASA’s generosity.

Edison Township Maintenance and Custodial Union

Since our program is centered within our school, it was not long before faculty took interest in our work. Especially impressed were the custodians, many of whom had shifts during our building hours. They realized our efforts and gave us their utmost cooperation. Our team was further surprised by their generosity when we received a check from them – a gift that we hadn’t even asked for. These acts of kindness went a long way and to Team 2554 the Custodial Union is not only a sponsor, but a true friend.

West Machine Works Inc.

During our rookie year our team lacked proper guidance when it came to mechanics. Although we had a design on paper, constructing it was something we could not do alone. Our needs were satisfied by West Side Machine, a machine shop in a neighboring town. Both of the owners immediately became members of our team. Not only did they use their mechanical engineering background to verify our blue prints for feasibility, but they also aided in the construction of the robot. By providing us with various raw materials and granting us access to their tools and shop, we were able to make our dreams into reality.