Charity Drive

FIRST Mega Drive at the Rah Cha Cha Ruckus

The Rah Cha Cha Ruckus has joined forces with FIRST teams 340 and 1511 to host a MEGA Drive. This MEGA Drive will take place during the Rah Cha Cha Ruckus event in the front lobby.

All teams attending are encouraged to participate in any way they can and help to make a difference in our local communities!

What is a MEGA Drive?

We are asking that Ruckus attendees donate to the following drive categories:

• Food (non-perishable, for local food pantries): To help people in our community who are hungry.
• Children’s books (new & gently-used): To promote literacy for children through our local, inner-city pediatric offices. Children’s books about STEM and technology would be an awesome contribution. (No text books or adult novels, please.)
• Electronics (small!): To promote learning for underserved children to encourage independence, self- esteem, and creativity (cell phones, hand-helds, and ink & toner cartridges). 
• NEW THIS YEAR! Shoes! Gently worn or used shoes of all types, from bedroom slippers to sports cleats to work boots and everything in between.: This drive benefits the Rochester City X-Cats robotics team, who gives shoes another life or more before ending up in landfill, and provides business opportunities to individuals or families in developing nations who use the shoes to carve out a living for themselves.
• Cash donations: Disaster relief to benefit FRC teams who have experienced loss due to natural disasters over that past year.

What can your team do to help??

Before the Event

Promote the MEGA Drive in your community by asking people to donate non-perishable food, new or "like new" children's books, and electronics, ans school supplies! We can even provide posters and flyers to help out (contact us)! Collect these items to bring and donate at the event!

Specifics and Details of Items We Accept

• Food items: non-perishable items only please!
• Children's Books:
  • We CANNOT accept any books that are in poor condition (missing pages/cover, written/drawn on)
  • We CANNOT accept adult novels - this is a drive for children's books!
  • We CANNOT accept any text books
• Electronics (small): Cell Phones, Handhelds, Ink and Toner Cartridges!
• Shoes: gently used sneakers or other shoes!
• Cash donations: US dollar currency only, please!

At the Event

Bring in your donations!! We'll be collecting item on Saturday October 26th during Ruckus between 7AM and 2PM. MEGA Drive volunteers will be on hand to assist with (un)loading items! You can find the donation station in the lobby of the Armory.

Please note: we will not be accepting donations during Friday load-in! However, teams are able to store donation items in their allotted pit space overnight and can give to donation volunteers in the morning.

Can't bring items to donate but still want to help?

We will also be accepting monetary donations as noted above! Or you can volunteer at the event.

Cool and Exciting Prizes!

Prizes will be awarded for the teams that donate the most items in each of the categories and for the most items donated overall!

The "Trick or Treat" Award

The team that donates the most overall items will be awarded the "Trick or Treat" award at the close of the event as!!!

Not Attending Ruckus?

Join the FIRST Mega Drive by holding an event locally. Contact us and we can help you to create a successful event. Report back your success and we'll include it in the FIRST MEGA Drive tally. Let's join together in one giant act of gracious professionalism to help our communities.

MEGA Drive Contact Info

Please contact MegaDrive@team340.org or megadrive@penfieldrobotics.com for more information.

Like the MEGA Drive event on Facebook at http://facebook.com/FIRST-MEGA-Drive.

Red Alliance, Blue Alliance are you ready?!? Lets shoot for 100% team participation!

You are already coming to the competition so lets "MEGA" Difference in our community by joining forces on Make A Difference Day.