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Rocky Mountain BEST Event Schedule
Practice Day
17 October Saturday
Thomas Jefferson High School Denver
9 AM - 3 PM
24 October Saturday
Metropolitan State University of Denver
7:30 AM - 5 PM
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Steering Team
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Carolyn Bauer-Hub Director, Game, Returnables
JoAnne Fry and Lori Lazuk- Consumable Kits
Jose Lopez-School Interface
Linda King-Volunteer Interface
Linda Scott-Secretary, Awards & Judging
Lois Walton-Budget
Patty Gaspar-Events
Board of Directors Kathy Geise - President
Tim Bouvia - Vice President
Jose Lopez - Executive Director
Carolyn Bauer - Secretary & Hub Director
Lois Walton - Treasurer
Steve Garran - Member At Large
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Welcome to the September 2015 Rocky Mountain BEST Volunteer Newsletter.
The student teams are off designing and fabricating their robots and creating their project engineering notebooks. We are less than 3 weeks from Practice Day when the teams gather to try out their robot designs and submit their notebooks. One week later the teams compete in
head-to-head robotics matches at Game Day on 24 October.
LAST CALL for YOU to get involved in all the fun.
If you are interested in volunteering for the Rocky Mountain BEST October events listed here, I'd love to hear from
YOU. Please send me an email at
[email protected] with information on which events you are able to support and times you are available and if you have a specific interest in area to support.
1. Practice Day - Saturday, 17 October, Thomas Jefferson High School Denver.
Volunteer positions: Friday evening setup ~5 - 9 PM and Saturday 7:30 AM - 3 PM with teardown until ~ 5 PM
2. Game Day - Saturday, 24 October, Auraria Event Center Denver
Volunteer positions: Friday evening setup ~6 - 10 PM and Saturday 7 AM - 5 PM with teardown until ~ 7 PM
In this newsletter, find the perfect volunteer position for YOU to join in the fun. Learn more about the PAY DIRT game (Game animation video YouTube Link - 7 minutes) and schools signed up to participate in the 3 Colorado BEST 2015 competitions. See who were our awesome volunteers who helped make our 12 September Kickoff Event successful.
And finally, we also give a peek at our STEMosphere September Outreach Activity and provide information on how to contribute financially to bring the competition Free to schools.
Please forward this newsletter to others who might be interested in Rocky Mountain (RM) BEST.
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LAST CALL to Join in the Fun!
Have a few hours on a Saturday to help make our 2015 Competition Successful?
Just send me a quick email with the dates and times you are available to get on the 2015 volunteer list to [email protected]
RM BEST Practice Day (16 and 17 October) 
- Move and setup volunteers Friday for 2-4 hours
- Compliance Check Saturday for 2-4 hours*
- Team Registration Saturday for 2-4 hours
- Volunteer Registration Saturday for 2-4 hours
- Pit Support Saturday for 6 hours
- Staging Support Saturday for 4 hours
- Referees Saturday for 6 hours*
- Cleanup and move Saturday for 2-4 hours
- Runners Saturday for 6 hours
- Hospitality Saturday for 2 hours
RM BEST Game Day (23 and 24 October) 
- Move and setup volunteers Friday for 2-4 hours
- Compliance Check Saturday for 3 hours*
- Team Registration Saturday for 2-4 hours
- Volunteer Registration Saturday for 2-5 hours
- Pit Support Saturday for 2-8 hours
- Staging Support Saturday for 8 hours
- Referees Saturday for 8 hours*
- Cleanup and move Saturday
 for 2 hours
- Runners Saturday for 2-8 hours
- Hospitality Saturday for 2 hours
Positions with * require a few hours of advance training or reading. All other positions receive directions the day of the event.
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2015 BEST Game - PAY DIRT
WOW, 28 RM BEST Schools, 12 FR BEST Schools, and 9 SoCo BEST @TrinidadState Schools Competing
The BEST 2015 PAY DIRT game was kicked off in Colorado at 3 locations on 12 September: Denver, Littleton and Trinidad. At Kickoff the 49 schools learned the challenges of the 2015 BEST competition.
The 2015 PAY DIRT game is competed on a 24'x24' game field with mining and economics themes.
Game Animation Video - YouTube Link - 7 minutes The game field contains 4 colored quadrants with 3 mine levels for each of the 4 teams and also a shared sublevel 3. The 4 teams compete simultaneously in 3 minute matches. See the game field graphic to the right.
 The mine is far too dangerous for humans so a robot must be used in the mine. Initial evaluations of the mine have revealed five lucrative materials at various depths beneath the surface: Coal, Iron,
 Aluminum, Copper, and Lithium.
   
 Also the mine requires repairs to broken pipes and ventilation system. Much like the real mining industry, success in the competition will be determined by net profit and each team will be in direct competition with the other teams. As in the real world, the market values of the commodities will change over time, so priorities must be adjusted mid-contest.
We are thrilled to have the following schools competing at the 2015 Colorado BEST Game Day Competitions on 24 October.
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Rocky Mountain BEST School
(*BEST Award Competitor)
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City
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Years Competing
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Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning*
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Colorado Springs
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2
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Broomfield High School
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Broomfield
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6
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Cripple Creek - Victor High School
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Cripple Creek
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1
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D'Evelyn Jr/Sr High School*
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Denver
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2
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DSST Byers Middle School
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Denver
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1
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DSST Cole High School*
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Denver
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1
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DSST Green Valley Ranch High School
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Denver
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1
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DSST Stapleton High School*
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Denver
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5
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East High School
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Denver
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6
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Fountain Valley High School
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Colorado Springs
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1
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Golden High School
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Golden
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3
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High Tech Early College
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Denver
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1
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Innovation Center of the St. Vrain Valley School District
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Longmont
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1
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Lake County High School
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Leadville
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1
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Manning Middle School*
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Golden
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3
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Manual High School
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Denver
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1
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Mrachek Middle School
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Aurora
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1
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North Middle School
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Aurora
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3
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Ralston Valley*
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Arvada
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1
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Skinner Middle School
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Denver
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1
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Skyline High School*
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Longmont
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2
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Skyview Middle School
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Colorado Springs
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3
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St. Mary's Academy*
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Englewood
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3
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Standley Lake High School
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Westminster
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3
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Thomas Jefferson High School
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Denver
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3
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Wheat Ridge High School
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Wheat Ridge
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3
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Woodland Park High School*
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Woodland Park
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1
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Woodland Park Middle School
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Woodland Park
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2
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Bishop Machebeuf (RM BEST Alternate School)
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Denver
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6
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Front Range BEST Schools
(*BEST Award Competitor)
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City
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Years Competing
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Bear Creek High School
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Lakewood
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4
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Chaparral High School
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Parker
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4
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Dakota Ridge High School*
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Littleton
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4
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Englewood High School
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Englewood
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1
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Highlands Ranch High School
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Highlands Ranch
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1
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Lakewood High School
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Lakewood
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2
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Legend High School*
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Parker
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3
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Mountain Vista High School*
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Highlands Ranch
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2
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New Vista High School*
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Highlands Ranch
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5
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STEM Academy*
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Highlands Ranch
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6
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Valor Christian High School
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Highlands Ranch
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3
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WarrenTech
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Lakewood
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5
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SoCo BEST@TrinidadState
Schools (*BEST Award Competitor)
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City
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Years
Competing
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Branson School*
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Branson
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1
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Centennial School
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San Luis
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1
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Hoehne School*
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Hoehne
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1
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Primero School*
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Weston
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1
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Raton High School*
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Raton, New Mexico
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1
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Sanford School
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Sanford
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1
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South Conejos School
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Antonito
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1
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Swink School*
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Swink
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1
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Trinidad Middle School
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Trinidad
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2
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If you know of a Colorado school interested in competing in 2016, please ask the interested school to contact Jose Lopez at
[email protected].
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Additional Volunteers Needed
Volunteers to Help Start New Hubs
NEW BEST Robotics Hub in 2016 (Now - December): We are working with individuals in the Pikes Peak and Central Colorado areas about starting additional Colorado BEST hubs in 2016. Please contact me at [email protected] if you, friends, or family are interested in working with these individuals to establish new BEST hubs in these locations.
 Front Range BEST Hub Volunteers (Now - October): The new Front Range BEST hub needs volunteers to help their Hub Development in Douglas County. Please contact Tami Kirkland at [email protected] if you, friends, or family are interested in working with this great group in bringing another BEST competition to the Metro Denver area.
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Volunteer SPOTLIGHT 
Volunteers Reveal the PAY DIRT Game at the 2015 Competition Kickoff Event
Thanks to the 40 volunteers who made the 12 September Kickoff Event a success. We revealed the 2015 PAY DIRT game to
 approximately 350 students, teachers, and mentors. The day included an introduction to game rules and the game field, we conducted 7 training classes, and handed out over $30K worth of robot build kits to the Rocky Mountain BEST teams.
Special thanks to: South High School for a perfect venue; the South High School Girls Gymnastics Team for the yummy concessions; the Protobot Team for producing a demonstration robot with their busy schedules; and the Colorado Mining Association for the mineral displays and flyers.
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September Outreach Activity
A Great Time with STEM Enthusiasts!
STEMosphere was out of this world on Saturday, September 26! STEMosphere is an event hosted by Share Fair Nation at the Ritchie Center on the University of Denver Campus.
RM BEST (RMB) and Front Range BEST (FRB) joined other exhibitors in the highly interactive, hands-on, FREE educational event.
Together, FRB and RMB manned an area on the exhibitor floor to provide attendees with (1) information about BEST, (2) an opportunity to drive the FRB demobot for Pay Dirt, and (3) the materials and steps to make a robot hand to lift lightweight objects.
Carissa Sigler and Harper Baird of STEM Academy guided the demobot interactions ranging from having the robot hand out BEST brochures TO playing ball with the neighboring rescue dog from Mountain Rescue Aspen! (See photo)
Of course the kids at the event enjoyed driving the demobot themselves with the direction of Carissa and Harper.
A BIG thank you goes out to Carissa and Harper for their participation and to the BEST volunteers Scott Baird, Stephanie Mann, Donna Gerlich, Tami Kirkland, Kathy Geise, and Lori Lazuk for supporting the day.
We can't wait until next year!!
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Rocky Mountain BEST Donation Opportunities
We need YOUR help to make the 2015 BEST Competition FREE to Schools
 AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know - same products, same prices, same service. Whenever you shop on AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Rocky Mountain BEST, (Centennial CO).
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 To get started, click on the "Shop at AmazonSmile" box on the right to logon to Amazon Smile with your existing Amazon account.
- If you do not see Rocky Mountain BEST, you can select "Rocky Mountain BEST (Centennial, CO)" after signing in.
- You'll receive an email confirming you are signed up.
- Once signed up, you'll be reminded of the donation with a "Supporting: Rocky Mountain BEST" in the upper left-hand corner of the screen each time you logon at www.smile.amazon.com.
 Benevity - If your company has gift matching through Benevity, Rocky Mountain BEST is one of the eligible non-profit organizations. Please check with your company about gift matching!
 If you have a Rocky Mountain BEST King Soopers Gift Card, King Soopers will donate 5% of EVERY gift card purchase -- including card refills -- to Rocky Mountain BEST...
all at no cost to you -- FOREVER!
Remember to use your Gift card to benefit Rocky Mountain BEST. If you need a gift card, contact [email protected] .
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Colorado Gives Day is Tuesday, 12.8.15. Hope you'll consider donating to Rocky Mountain BEST! More details to come in future newsletters.
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| Rocky Mountain BEST would not be successful without you! We are looking forward to working with you in 2015 with the PAY DIRT game.
Sincerely,
Linda King Volunteer Interface, Rocky Mountain BEST
 
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