"Gotta Catch 'Em All!" Run for Robots 5K at the Morgan County Fair

“Gotta Catch ‘Em All” Run for Robots 5K at the Morgan County Fair

Call it a frenzy!  Call it a fundraiser!  Call it family fitness!  Call it whatever you want!  But be sure to also call it Run for Robots 5K and Pokemon Go!  Now, while out on your walk or Run for Robots 5K coming up this Saturday, July 23rd, to launch the Morgan County Fair, be sure to capture a Pokemon, or two!  The fun begins at 9:00 a.m. from Berkeley Springs High School.

                 

What?!  Just how does the popular Pokemon Go! virtual game collide with a new event this year in Berkeley Springs?  Well....I’ll tell you.  Community running club at First United Methodist Church, or FUMC Go Run for God, is hosting an event to help Morgan County students raise money for STEM, or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  For a donation of $10 per person, all ages and abilities are encouraged to join us for a fun filled 5K run/walk through historic Berkeley Springs, from following the path of George Washington to creating a new Pokemon Go team, tie up your running shoes, bring the kids, and prepare to “Catch “Em All!”

Run for Robots 5K at the Morgan County Fair is for both athletes competing for personal times as well as others looking for a leisurely fun walk/run.  It is all about family fitness and fun under the watchful eyes of Morgan County safety officials!  Official times will not be taken nor awards for age categories.  Rather, meet Pastor Doug Hoffman of First United Methodist Church who will present the first six runners with wood “Run for God” medals hand-crafted by students of Berkeley Springs High School wood-shop.

For Pokemon Go enthusiasts, characters are waiting to be captured all along the route!  From Oddish, Gloom, Psyduck, Magikarp and more, runners and walkers will not want to miss surprises waiting at George Washington’s Bath, Portals, to Gifts & Souvenirs at Berkeley Springs Memories, and more. Return to visit merchants following the race for wonderful local arts and crafts, visit the Fair, stop by the park later for live entertainment at 5:30, then stay for dinner downtown at one of Berkeley Springs fine restaurants.

Run for Robots is a gentle, flat, 5K which after starting from the high school, will proceed north on Concord where Oddish was spotted, north on 522 passing the Berkeley  Springs State Park, crossing Fairfax Street, toward the Star Theater.  Turning there, the route then enters the park for refreshing healing water break, passes George’s bath, and circling West Virginia’s smallest State Park for a return south on 522.  After passing BSHS, meet more characters along Widmeyer Way’s south playground for a return to the finish line where refreshing water will be provided by Berkeley Springs Water, the original natural spring water!

Proceeds go to benefit the Morgan County Robotics Program, a county wide STEM initiative to help students have classroom robotics opportunities and Relentless Robotics 4H Clubs, an after school program to build and program robotics technology as well as competitive teams with FIRST, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

Registration begins at 8:00 at Berkeley Springs High School.  Run for Robots will begin at 9:00 a.m.  For early online registration, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/run-for-robots-5k-at-the-morgan-county-fair-tickets-25625368166 or call Angie Hott at 304-582-8696.  Morgan County Robotics and Relentless Robotics 4H Programs are administered by the WVU Extension Office and Morgan County Schools with generous support from community sponsors like State Farm Insurance, Tom Seely Foundation, Gat Creek Furniture, FAST, STS International, and the Eastern WV Community Foundation. 

The WVU Extension Office in Morgan County has hosted an annual fair and 5K for some time now.  It was five years ago when this now 50 year old grey haired PD bloggin hott mama of four decided to sign up the Hott family for their first family 5K.  For some reason, I got the crazy idea from Dan's neurologist that exercise is a good thing.  Well, until one attempts their first 5K in the mountains of West "by God" Virginia.

With two then little boys in tow, I cheated and finished early; however, my hotthubby Dan finished the race my hero! (It's true!  See here:  http://excusemecanitellyousomething.blogspot.com/2011/07/hott-family-finishes-5k-and-kicks-pds.html)  Believe it or not, this day began a journey that not only includes a few more 5Ks, a couple 10Ks, and yes (I kid you not), two, dare I say TWO half marathons!

Just how crazy is that?!

House Bill 2005 for Education Reform in West Virginia

Our West Virginia Legislature has been working hard and I am especially encouraged to learn of the House of Representatives recent passing of House Bill 2005.

This exciting bill, which will allow second career subject matter experts to teach in classrooms, also proposes acceptance of Teach for America, an organization that "recruits committed recent college graduates and professionals of all backgrounds to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools."

According to the Charleston Daily Mail, "Of the ten poorest states in the nation, West Virginia is the only one that has shut out Teach for America.  The organization sends teachers to rural Missippi and Arkansas, to inner-city Baltimore, to eastern Kentucky."  See more at: http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150213/DM04/150219692/1279#sthash.Eapwg28B.dpuf

Not West Virginia!  Why?  Well, who really knows; but from what I have read it is because of union control over education in our state. (See above story.)  However, as a parent and voter in West Virginia, NOW is an exciting opportunity for ALL residents of West Virginia to initiate a change!  By letting our elected officials know we support education reform, YOU can help House Bill 2005 pass and become law.

You see, I am currently involved in a project to enrich Morgan County's STEM education with robotic technology.  By investing in resources to design, build, and program robotic technology today, we help grow tomorrow's engineers, technicians, and operators.  With more Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEaM) available for our students, we (yes! we!) will provide them the hope to achieve life long skills and dreams to achieve careers providing competitive wages.

Our problem is financing with Morgan County, and West Virginia's, limited resources.  With the availability of Teach for America here, we can not only fill critical vacancies state wide but also propel our new robotics program to the next phase: hire a county STEM/Robotics Educator and provide a class to ALL students county wide in the related arts rotation.  To date, we have been able to fundraise for the technology with the generous support of State Farm Insurance, Tom Seeley Foundation, Gat Creek Furniture, Forum for Arts Science and Technology, and community support.  In fact, the partnership with Morgan County Schools and the WVU Extension Office has raised nearly $25,000!

Now, it's YOUR turn to help.  Please forward a brief message to our elected officials asking them to pass House Bill 2005.  It has already passed in the House at a vote of 60-35.  Now, as it proceeds to the Senate and then Governor Tomblin, you can let them know of your support by sending this quick message (provided below, just copy and paste to your email):

To:  Governor Tomblin:  governor@wv.gov  888-438-2731
        Senator Trump:  charles.trump@wvsenate.gov  304-357-7980
        Senator Blair:  craig@craigblair.com  304-357-7867

Dear Governor and Senate Representatives:
I support Education Reform in West Virginia.   Please vote in favor of House Bill 2005 to allow for alternative teacher certification for second career field experts and authorize Teach for America permission to recruit teachers to fill our state's much needed vacancies.
Sincerely,
(your name)

Thanks for helping our students achieve their dreams!

 

Oh I Want a Lego Robot Kit for Christmas!

Listen to Levi and EV3 sing about a way to ignite a student's STEM education and put Lego Robotic technology under a teacher's tree this year!  Join the community helping Morgan County launch a Robotics STEM Program for students county wide!  Donations of $500 will purchase Lego robot technogy for a teacher's classroom, 4H Club "Relentless Robotics", and provide needed intervention in math and science!  Any contribution welcome! To find out more, contact Angie Hott (ahottfamily@gmai.com) or visit us at:
RELENTLESS ROBOTICS

 Here are the words to sing along with Levi (the tune is "Oh I Want a Hippopatimus"):

Oh I want a Lego Robotics Kit for Christmas
Not just any Lego Kit will do
A Mindstorm EV3, or a WeDo for me
My teacher at school will use to teach us math see

See me at school after Christmas morning
Walking down the ha-all
Imagine my surprise
When I open up my eyes
To see a Mindstorm Robot standing tall!

Oh I want a Lego Robotics Kit for Christmas
Not just any Lego Kit will do
A Mindstorm EV3, or a WeDo for me
For Interventions needs At Morgan County After 3

Help Morgan County grow a program
To benefit us a-all
Achieve careers in STEM
This is how we can begin
Teachers need equipment to start on the ball

Oh I want a Lego Robotics Kit for Christmas
Help us buy a robot kit or two
A Mindstorm EV3, or a WeDo for me
Send your donation to be under teacher’s tree