It is with great sadness that we relay the passing of our good friend and FIRST supporter, David Sticker.  David met our team at the 2013 FIRST World Championship where he attended as the representative of NRG Energy, major sponsor of FIRST.  David enthusiastically pledged his support for Team 225 and spent the past several months helping TechFire develop a nonprofit organization, TechFire Robotics of York.  David's leadership on our recently formed board of directors was invaluable and his friendship and service to the community will serve as an ongoing inspiration to the many lives he's touched. 

The TechFire Robotics of York board is working to develop a memorial scholarship fund in David's name.  Details forthcoming.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/york/obituary.aspx?n=david-j-stickler&pid=167651338

Congrats to TechFire for an outstanding performance at the Duel on the Delaware off-season competition held at Salem Community College in Carney's Point, NJ this past weekend.  Team 225 had a strong showing in the qualifying rounds and was seeded #5 going into alliance selections.  Along with Teams 816 Anomaly and 369 High Voltage, TechFire battled it out against some of the best teams in the MAR to advance to the championship round. Facing a powerful alliance of Teams 341 Miss Daisy, 1640 Sab-BOT-age and 1089 Mercury, TechFire was plagued with penalties then was knocked over in the last match, but was proud go home with the finalist trophy.

In addition to a great showing on the field,  TechFire was honored to receive the "Gracious Professionalism" award which recognized "outstanding sportsmanship and continuous Gracious Professionalism in the heat of competition, both on and off the field." Great job 225!

Congrats to all the team for a great day of Ultimate Ascent and a big thank you to our alliance partners and Teams 316 LuNaTeCs and 365 MOE for hosting this fun-filled and exciting off-season event.

TechFire was proud to host an evening with The Engineering Society of York (TESOY) and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) York chapter at our shop this past week. TESOY is an organization which promotes the engineering industry while also providing support to York County students who wish to pursue a career in engineering. The society is comprised of over 100 members who participate in monthly tours of local companies and attend lectures delivered by key individuals of the industry and community. SME is an organization which connects  those who are passionate about making things that improve our world. As a nonprofit organization, SME has served practitioners, companies, educators, government and communities across the manufacturing spectrum for more than 80 years.

Members of TESOY and SME were given a presentation about FIRST and also participated in a tour of Try Tek and Coupling Corporation of America, where our shop is currently located. TechFire students enjoyed dinner and conversation with the many engineers and professionals and were happy to answer questions about Tyrannosaucer Rex and the 2013 season.  Our team was then presented with funding from both TESOY and SME which was accepted with much appreciation from our students and mentors.  

At the conclusion of the evening, Coupling Corporation of America president, James Anderson Jr, was presented with a team photo memento in recognition of the company's ongoing support and sponsorship.  

We are grateful for the opportunity to reach out to the engineering community of York and look forward to their continued interest and support of FIRST robotics!

Team 225 was happy to help out at York Habitat for Humanity this past weekend, unloading materials for an upcoming build. Proud to see our students, parents, and mentors volunteering part of their weekend to help in the community. STRONG work Techfire!

Congrats to the TechFire girls who competed for TechFire at girlPOWER! The team was drafted fourth overall and finished in the semifinals. We didn't quite make it all the way, but everyone competed hard. A big thanks to FRC Team 433 Firebirds for hosting this event!  Great job everyone.

TechFire was invited to give a presenation and demo to the Lancater-York chapter of the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS). APICS is the global leader and premier source of the body of knowledge in supply chain and operations management, including production, inventory, materials management, purchasing, and logistics.

TechFire students gave an in-depth presentation about FIRST robotics to an audience of engineers and supply chain professionals who expressed great interest in our program and were grateful to have a chance to see our robot and ask questions about FRC and TechFire.  Our students enjoyed dinner and conversation with the attendees and had a chance to learn about APICS and supply chain engineering and operations management.

A special thanks to the APICS board members who arranged this event and allowed Team 225 to reach out to and and learn from the engineering community!

TechFire was invited to participate in the Fall Fling, a school-wide pep rally at Hempfield High School which showcased school spirit and recognized various organizations and clubs at the school.  Nearly 2,000 students had a chance to see Tyrannosaucer Rex and find out more about FIRST robotics and Team 225.  We look forward to seeing new members from HHS at our shop this season!

TechFire was invited to show off Tyrannosaucer Rex and talk to students about FIRST robotics in the cafeteria of Central York High School, a large, suburban, public school that serves the Borough of North York and Manchester Township and the greater part of Springettsbury Township in York County, Pennsylvania.  

Congrats to TechFire for a great showing at the County Cup Croquet Tournament this past weekend. The County Cup is an annual fundraiser which unites multiple charities along with the Rotary Clubs of York County to raise more than $100,000 for local nonprofit organizations and is used to support and build the community.  

Members of Team 225 spent many weeks practicing for the big day and held their own on amongst the many other community participants. TechFire was proud to field three teams, each playing for a different nonprofit organization. These included:

Team A
St. Onge Foundation
Matt Kline
Ben Martin

Team B
Turning Point Women's Counseling and Advocacy Center 
Donnie Krtanjek
Gracie Putman

Team C
York Country Day School
Ben Miller
Bethany Rispoli

The A-team was knocked out in the first round of semis by the team that went on to be runner-up.  Team B did an outstanding job but couldn't quite proceed to the semis.  Team C also had a tough time moving on from the prelims but was one of the lucky teams chosen at random to compete in the "Nickel and Dime Round".  We are proud of our TechFire students for winning $500 for York Country Day School!  We are hopeful that this money will be used to help fund the school's newly formed FLL teams.

In addition to playing croquet, the County Cup provided an amazing opportunity to reach out to the community.  Tyrannosaucer Rex wowed the crowd, firing frisbees and looking awesome-as-ever as many spectators stopped by to inquire about our team and the FIRST program. 

We would like to thank the Rotary Clubs of York County for a great day of competitive fun and for allowing our team to be part of an event which will have a tremendously positive impact on our community for years to come.