Robotics team at Jim Elliot invited to compete in Israel

Earlier this year, Jim Elliot Christian School's robotics team was competing at the annual international competition in Atlanta when the machine — or better yet, what it was flying — caught the eye of an unsuspected delegate.

The Israeli Deputy Consul was in the pit area visiting that country's teams when she saw an Israeli flag on the Lodi school's robot.

"We fly the Israeli flag to show our support for Israel. You see, as a Christian School we understand that the epicenter of God's World is Israel," Team adviser and teacher Tom Bray said this week.

When he explained that to the woman, a retired Israeli Air Force general invited Jim Elliot's team to come to Israel next year as the only American team to participate in that country's international competition.

Competition fees and robot supply parts, however, total about $14,000. That doesn't count the $2,200 per-student housing and transportation costs associated with the trip.

"We usually need about $30,000 to cover shipping the robot and to cover travel and lodging for the team," teacher Frank Ruiz said of the group's annual Atlanta competition. "This year that number is going to be more like $100,000.

"Since we are having to raise more than we have ever in the past, we need every bit of help we can get."

Every year, Jim Elliot's students compete in the worldwide competition in Atlanta and the FIRST Robotics University of California, Davis/Sacramento Regional Competition, having won two of the last three.

"This is significant because we have no major sponsors," Bray said.

There are several different small teams that come together to make up the school's whole robotics team. Ruiz advises one of these, the Web design team, while Bray oversees the build portion of the robotics team. That process begins in January.

Local team leaders sing the endeavor's praises, in which team members learn to solve complex engineering tasks, construct Web pages, design computer animations and handle logistics. Some graduates credit the program with getting them into four-year universities and even the U.S. Air Force, according to parent Debbie Ruiz, who is spearheading the Israel fundraising efforts.

"One student applied to the military and was rejected. She applied again only adding that she was captain of the robotics team and she was accepted," said Frank Ruiz, who is married to Debbie.

Robotics Team membership also provides students advantages as they enter college.

"As advisers we receive no rewards of any kind with the exception of seeing the students benefit from it," he added. "The advisor position is voluntary. We even spend our own money going on the trips because we do not want to take away from a student receiving the funds raised to get them there."

In addition to an illusionist show this week and a crab feed in January, the school is also planning a Christian Teen New Year's Eve party and possibly another crab feed in the spring.

Debbie Ruiz said the team is ultimately looking for a corporate sponsor that could contribute $10,000 to $15,000 each.

Jim Elliot is the only competing high school team that doesn't have a sponsor. Some teams with big-name sponsors like Google or Sony receive $300,000 a year, according to advisers.

For more information about the spring 2010 competition in Israel, visit www.rfe1662.org.

Contact reporter Jennifer Bonnett at jenniferb@lodinews.com.

How you can help

Unlike other successful teams, the Jim Elliot Christian High School robotics team has no corporate sponsor and 100 percent of the costs are paid for through fundraising.

At 7 p.m. Saturday, the school is hosting an illusionist who will perform a magic show. Dessert and coffee will be served with the $5 admission. Advance ticket purchases are requested.

The group's annual crab feed is scheduled for Jan. 23, and organizers are requesting sponsorships for individual tables at different price levels. Individual tickets are also available.

All sponsorships are tax deductible. For more information, call the school at 368-2800, or visit www.jechs.com or www.rfe1662.org.

News-Sentinel staff

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