The BBCHS Ironclad Robotics has qualified for the 2025 FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas on April 16-19, 2025, and fundraising is underway through a GoFundMe.

Attending the international competition is a significant financial undertaking, with an estimated $20,000 needed to bring the entire team to Houston, according to a news release from the team.

As of Friday morning, the effort has raised more than $8,000.

This event is the pinnacle of the robotics season – equivalent to the Super Bowl of robotics – where they will compete against 600 of the best teams from around the world out of 3,705 active teams.

“Earning an invitation to this prestigious event is a remarkable achievement,” according to the release.

At this time, these funds are not readily available, which is why they are reaching out to friends, family and the community for support on their journey.

Contributions will help cover students’ travel, hotel and meal expenses, ensuring that every team member has the opportunity to participate.

The GoFundMe page can be found at gofundme.com by searching “Help send BBCHS Ironclad Robotics to 2025 FIRST Championship” or visiting www.gofundme.com/f/help-send-bbchs-ironclad-robotics-to-2025-first-championship.

The team recently competed at the Central Illinois Regional, earning second place out of 35 teams.

With high spirits from that competition, Ironclad’s FRC team is currently competing in Sevierville, Tenn., in the Smoky Mountains Regional ahead of attending the FIRST (which stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, a global nonprofit) Championships.

The FIRST Championship is a culminating, international event for our youth robotics competition season and an annual celebration of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for our community as we prepare young people for the future, according to the competition website firstchampionship.org.

To follow the Ironclad Robotics team’s journey, check out their Facebook page at facebook.com/Ironclad5847.