Hi ,

In this week's blast:

⚙️Kickoff
⚙️Kickoff Kit Pick Up
⚙️FIRST^® HQ Holiday Closures
⚙️Team Blast Schedule
⚙️Blog Updates
⚙️How do I keep my Robot Running Resource
⚙️Invest in the Future with a Gift to the FIRST Mission

Program Updates, Deadlines, & Reminders

Watch the FIRST^® Robotics Competition 2025 Season Kickoff January 4, 12:00 p.m. ET on the FIRST Robotics Competition YouTube Channel: Featuring the game reveal of REEFSCAPE^SM presented by Haas, with appearances from FIRST^® faves, including FIRST CEO Chris Moore, FIRST Founder Dean Kamen, CrunchLabs Founder Mark Rober, and many more!  Sign up for a tune-in reminder or find a local kickoff near you.

Kickoff Kit Pick up: Don’t forget as we get closer to Kickoff to make a plan for who is picking up the Kickoff Kit. The following people are allowed to pick up the Kit:

🔹Lead 1 or 2 mentor for the team with photo ID.
🔹Any mentor on the team over 18 (you may log in to your FIRST Dashboard as proof) with photo ID.
🔹A person over 18 that is listed on the Surrogate Kit Pick-up Letter with photo ID.
➡️If a team is unable to pick-up their Kickoff Kit at the Local Kickoff selected, a surrogate may be designated to do so but the form must be submitted at least 2 days prior to Kickoff by the lead mentor 1 or 2 or a team administrator.

FIRST HQ Holiday Closures: FIRST^® Headquarters will be closed on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, and Wednesday, January 1, 2025.

Team Blast Schedule: There will be no FIRST Robotics Competition Team Blast the week of December 23. The normal weekly schedule will resume on January 2, 2025.

FIRST Robotics Competition Blog Updates:

✏️ Advancement to the 2025 FIRST Championship

Resource of the Week: As we dive closer to the season, watch the How do I keep my Robot Running video from our friends at AndyMark to learn some tips and tricks to ensure your robot runs during every match.

Invest in the Future with a Gift to the FIRST Mission: As a nonprofit, FIRST relies on the support of volunteers, mentors, sponsorships, and individual donations to deliver quality STEM programs that prepare the young people of today for the world of tomorrow. Your tax-deductible donation at any level helps ensure that FIRST is available for years to come. Help us reach an ambitious goal of making STEM available for everyone everywhere, while keeping costs down for all participants.

Give a gift with limitless returns, and together we can ensure that the next generation has the skills, confidence, and resilience to build a better world.

Upcoming Important Dates:

⚙️ Saturday, January 4 at 12:00 p.m. noon ET - Kickoff
⚙️ Saturday, January 4 at 1:00 p.m. ET – Virtual Kit Kickoff Release, Kickoff Kit Replacement Parts System Opens, and FIRST Choice: Round 2 Opens