Jay-Livermore Falls Lions Club donated money to the Blue Crew FIRST Robotics Competition Team 6153 to purchase a new flag to use at competitions and events. Club president Cami Warren is seen handing a check to Blue Crew Captain Emily Hammond Wednesday evening, March 1, at Mt. Blue High School in Farmington. Also seen in no order are team members Dan Wilson, Skylar Condon, Kipp Purrington, Kodi Quimby, Myles Labonte, Finn Zimmerschied, Own Schwab, Mckella Ford, Nathan Hall, Leonie Schubert, Lily Bailey, Avein Gardner, Mason Labonte, Ben Daku, Jacob White, Ben Lewis, Henry Renaud, Gentry House, Jack Cramer, Lucy Knowles, Wyatt Dorr, Ava Coates, Noah Civiello and Noah PB. Submitted photo

JAY — The Jay-Livermore Falls Lions Club recently donated $500 to Blue Crew FIRST Robotics Competition [FRC] Team 6153.

The money was used to purchase a new flag to use at FRC competitions and events, member Mason Labonte said in an interview with the Livermore Falls Advertiser in February. “We had a flag last year but rushed to get that because we needed it in time for the competition,” he explained then. “So we decided to redo it this year and hopefully have it for years to come. It’s a nice flag to have. We got funding for that. Mentor Rob Taylor is a Lions member.”

Blue Crew is a team of students from Mt. Blue High School in Farmington and Spruce Mountain High School in Jay. Spruce had a very active robotics team prior to advisor Daniel Lemieux’s retirement. Last year SMART members and mentors were invited to join the Blue Crew.

“I knew the Spruce Mountain team,” Richard Wilde, Blue Crew head mentor said at a Regional School Unit 73 Board of Directors meeting last month. “What I was really unprepared for was what happened when you combined the two teams. What they were able to accomplish last year was more than either one of our previous teams had done.”

When Blue Crew competed at FRC New England SE Mass event March 3-5 in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, the flag was there to help identify the team. It was the team’s first competition this year.

“We’re kind of excited to be able to sponsor that,” Lynn Jellison, Lions Club member said recently. The Lions Club logo is on the flag, she noted.

FIRST is an abbreviation of For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. FRC is an international high school robotics program. It combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology, according to the FRC website.

Blue Crew will next be competing:

• March 25-26, NE District UNH Event in Durham, New Hampshire

• April 5-8, New England FIRST District Championship in West Springfield, Massachusetts

• April 19-22, FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas, [dependent on the team’s success at the other events]