LONDONDERRY - The PVC Pirates' win this past weekend in the Granite State Regional FIRST Robotics Competition couldn't have come at a better moment. For the first time in the Londonderry High robotic team's seven-year history, members put a citizen's petition article on the ballot, asking voters to support $7,000 for the team's expenses.
Voters passed the article by 640 votes Tuesday. The money will go to the Pirates' budget for next year.
The team had an informational booth set up at the polls. After school let out for the day, Londonderry High junior and team captain Brendan McLeod joined fellow teammates and mentors to talk to voters about the team's accomplishments
McLeod said the 35-member team puts in about 32 hours a week once it gets the assignment to build each year's robot. They have just six weeks to create the robot, then compete in the event founded by Segway inventor Dean Kamen.
"We put just as much into our team as any sport at the school, like football," McLeod said.
The team headed to yet another competition in Baltimore yesterday.
"We like to go to at least one out-of-state competition," McLeod said. "We plan to do this even if we don't make regional finals, for the fun of it. But when we go to Atlanta, it's going to be serious. We'll be looking to kick butt down there."
This year's regional competition, a 3-on-3â³ soccer game, began for the team on Jan. 8 when they received their kit to build a robot they dubbed Redemption after a series of saves during the three-day tournament at the Verizon Wireless Area in Manchester last week.
They swept the semifinals, then went to the wire in the championship, winning the first match, tying the second, losing the third, then winning the deciding match.
"On Saturday, we went from 47th to first," McLeod said. "We did it, and that is why our robot is named Redemption."
Placing in that competition sends the team, and its robot, to the International Championship in Atlanta April 14-16.
To make the trip, the team needs to raise $6,000 to $7,000 for travel costs, in addition to a $4,000 entrance fee. Donations can be made by contacting finance@team1058.com.
