Alpena High School’s Underwater Research Robotics team has the chance to compete against other robotics team from Turkey, Japan, Ethiopia, and elsewhere at the world championships in Longmont, Colorado from June 21 to 24.

The team won the Ranger category in the Marine Advanced Technology Education Great Lakes Regional ROV competition on May 20, meaning it’s the only qualifying team out of 13 in the Great Lakes regional competition to attend worlds.

But they need $5,000 still to cover the cost of the trip.

That’s where you come in.

The team is currently fundraising to help offset the cost of the trip out West.

Donations can be made online at schoolpay.com/pay/for/National-ROV-Competition-Longmont-CO/SNoENS or donations can be sent to the high school, 3303 S. 3rd Ave., Alpena, Michigan, 49707.

The kids — mostly eighth through 10th-graders — would gain invaluable experiences on the journey to Colorado. They’d get to work with teams from around the world, learning not only important skills in science, technology, engineering, and math, but also skills in problem-solving, collaboration, and more.

We know this community is generous, and we ask anyone who’s able to open their pocketbooks and help the kids get to the world championships.