Chelsea Robotics has been gearing up for the second half of their third annual Wrap-A-Palooza event since December. The event is split into two dates: one on Dec. 7, and another on Dec. 21. It’s a Christmas gathering where team members provide complimentary gift wrapping for any last-minute shoppers, complete with hot cocoa and pictures with Santa. Though only in its third year, it’s a favorite tradition among the team, and only continues to grow in community participation.
“It’s been gaining momentum ever since it started,” junior Sophia Getty said. “We’ve only gotten more and more support from the community. We get a lot of donations from people who come in to get their presents wrapped, and we also have a silent auction. Before that, everyone on the team goes and asks for donations from local businesses.”
Getty – who has been doing robotics for eight years – works to wrap the presents, engaging with the community while also providing significant behind-the scenes help. Donations earned by team members go directly towards their upcoming season, which begins just weeks after the event.
“This year, kickoff is on the first Saturday of January,” Getty said. “When it starts, we have about three months of build season – where we actually create our robot. Then it’s competition season, when we use the donated money. What we earn from the event is going to our team’s travel, since we’ll have at least one event that requires a long commute. This will help us pay for any hotel or travel fees required to go to world or state championships.”
Though a relatively new program, the event has undeniably continued to evolve in its three-year lifespan.
“The first year we were figuring things out,” Getty said, “So we didn’t have that much engagement. Our second year, we started the silent auction and got somebody to come in to play Santa. This year, we’re becoming a lot more visible and doing way more advertising.”
Though enriching, team members in charge of planning Wrap-A-Palooza are often faced with challenges that can come when looking to expand community outreach.
“Each year we add a little bit more,” Getty said. “This time we’ve definitely expanded on the silent auction part. So that was kind of a challenge, getting the participation and money we needed to raise. We overcame it, though, and got a good amount.”
Robotics members don’t only view their programs as a way to raise money. Team events often allow opportunities to interact with large numbers of people and foster connections, the team’s abilities drawing many significant spectators.
“We’re really lucky,” said Getty. “We actually have ties with state and local representatives. [Michigan State Representative] Kathy Schmaltz came in and said hello during our first event this year, and we’ve had Debbie Dingell come to previous ones. It’s nice to be able to engage with people from this community and beyond.”
