By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

A team of homeschooled students that includes members from Hooksett and Bedford not only won the FIRST robotics regional competition in Manchester on March 4, it is now looking for help to go on to the international championship in Atlanta on April 27 to 29.

Being a rookie team last year, no one expected them to emerge as the champions, but Team 1519, Mechanical Mayhem, did just that. They were one of 52 teams from nine states and Canada that spent countless hours over a six-week period designing and building a 5-foot robot which can pick up balls from the floor and shoot them 20 feet through a circular target 8 feet off the ground.

Mechanical Mayhem competed at the Granite State Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, March 3 and 4. This unique team of homeschoolers, works mainly out of a coach’s basement.

With the privilege of becoming regional champions, they have the challenge of raising $18,000 to compete at the international championship event, April 27 to 29 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. It costs $5,000 for registration, and approximately $13,000 for transportation, lodging and food for the team.

Team members include Matthew and Timothy Carey and Zachary Daggett of Hooksett; Ben, Nathan and Ken Streeter of Bedford; Nathan and Bill Gray, and Katie Hammes of Milford; Steven, David and Ken Bell of Londonderry; Vicki and Chrissy Umenhofer of Wilton; David Schunemann of Hollis; Christopher, Brian, Brittany and Chris Jennings, and Nathan Ham of Merrimack; Benjy Thomas and Noel Poore of Mont Vernon; Joseph and Cedric Lamy of Mason; and John Kirkhart of Nashua.

For more information about the team and FIRST Robotics, see www.team1519.org and www.usfirst.org.

If you’re interested in donating to these inspiring and hard working teenagers, please contact info@mayheminc.org. All contributions are tax deductible.