The Idaho state championship FIRST Lego League team (FLL), Xanterra, and the University of Idaho Extension 4-H Robotics are hosting an event Saturday to commence their 2017-2018 season. They will be donating proceeds from the event to disaster relief efforts in Houston.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a community-based robotics program that teaches students ages 9-14 technology and 21st-century life skills while fostering an appreciation for science and building self confidence. This year they are learning about and working on the Hydro Dynamics Challenge.

The event is free for any kids who are interested in robotics. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Greensferry Landing Community Center at 2544 E. Ferry Landing in Post Falls.

The kids will be offering a lunch of hot dogs, chips and a drink for $2.50. The money raised was going to be used to help fund their program. Now it will go toward disaster relief in Houston after Tropical Storm Harvey made landfall last Friday. The kids are going to be setting up a sign and donation jar at the upcoming event, and all money will be sent directly to the Houston Food Bank.

When the team learned the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston had become a shelter to host up to 5,000 Harvey flood victims, the decision to donate was made. The convention center holds a special place in the hearts of these kids. In April they spent five days at the convention center for the World FLL competition, where they were able to meet and compete with kids from 33 different countries. They also had a welcome party at a nearby park which was a great cultural experience where they were able to really interact and network with other competitors from around the world

“This last spring, the city of Houston hosted Team Xanterra for the FIRST Lego League World Championship. The city, the people, the convention center made the trip very special for all of us,” said Aida Zeff, whose son, Conner, is a member of the team. “To now watch this special place and its citizens suffering through this disaster is heartbreaking. The first core value of FLL is ‘We are a team.’ That being said, the kids and parents of Xanterra had to do something. We had to give back so that Houston and its families know that the hospitality shown to us earlier this year was not forgotten. That’s why Xanterra decided to donate the proceeds.”

“We had such an amazing, life-changing experience in that building,” said team coordinator Jamie Sherman. “So we started having a discussion about the contrast between our experience there and people who are now experiencing something very different in that same place, and we just felt very connected to that.”

With their focus this season on hydrodynamics, there is a bit of irony that this city that has found a place in their hearts has been inundated with trillions of gallons of water since last Friday.

“The season is just beginning so we’re really just starting to immerse ourselves in all things water, and so it is ironic. I think that just adds another element of connection for us,” said Sherman. “We haven’t specifically studied floods, but we’ve studied water, so some kids have a good understanding of things like levies and rainfall.”

For information about the FIRST Robotics Kick-Off Event, contact Jamie Sherman at xanterrafll@gmail.com or (208) 640-0134, or Robin Baumgartner at rbaumgartner@uidaho.edu or (208) 364-4603.