FRC “Corazón de Chileno” TEAM 2576 from CHILE

volcano blows in chile`

They not only lost where they meet and everything they had, they also lost all of their sponsors.

Chile Earthquake: Death Toll Soars From 8.8-Magnitude Quake

Three Americans Missing, Dozens Dead in Quake 64 Times Stronger Than Haiti’s

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Chile_Earthquake/chile-earthquake-chilean-earthquake-stronger-haitis/story?id=9963716

(Latest e-mail: Rebecca,hope you has been good Christmas and you have a good New year.

Rebecca I would to know if you could get something of help for my team. We are a little worried because we can’t to pay the regional yet and our sponsor, who paid for us the last year ‘’Bae System’’ can’t to pay this year, FIRST foundation is helping us but they can’t get money yet.

Que tenga un prospero año Nuevo.

A big hug from your friend from Chile.–

CHRISTIAN IGNACIO ACUÑA NAVARRO, MIEMBRO, Equipo FRC “Corazón de Chileno ®” )

Hey all! I was sent this plea for help by our friends on Team 2576 from Santiago, Chile who will be competing in the Great Lakes (Ypsilanti) Regional. Although I don’t have any affiliation to the team, I’m contacting the FIRST supporters I know, and I thought the great CD community might be able to lend some support. I’m sure you’ll agree it’s exciting to see FRC grow beyond the borders of the US, so let’s see if we can help them have a great competition. I have abbreviated their message somewhat, but I’m sorry it’s still a long-ish post.

Dear friends:
Could you please share this information with whoever you think might be able to help: so far only 15 of the 20 or so students have purchased their tickets. There will be 2 adult leaders with them, possibly 3. The robot was already assembled by this young team and sent to Michigan.
1) These youngsters (between 12 and 18) will be traveling from Chile on Tuesday March 25, going back to Chile March 30. The competition will take place between those dates)
2) There are several young people in the group who do not have all the means necessary for this trip, and the leaders are in contact with a team leader in the Ipsilanti area who is trying to make contacts with Latin-American or Spanish speaking families to host some of these young people.
3) About the students: they come from different schools and areas of Santiago (Maipu, La Florida, Nunoa, Las Condes, La Reina, Santiago, Cerrillos) they are mostly High School students, one girl from Elementary School, from middle and high middle class background, educated, good students, from nice families.
4) The team has been interviewed by newspapers and some radio and TV programs, but no help has come from all of that.
5) Many of the parents had to ask for loans and get into debt in order to finance the trip, and they have received some help from relatives and some of the schools’ faculty
6) The leaders are available to be reached for questions about the trip and about how to help this group:

JOSE IGNACIO FERNANDEZ
CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENT U.N.A.B.
email: robot[at]unab[dot]cl

GEORGE GROMSCH
CIVIL ENGINEER
email: ggromsch[at]neosecure[dot]cl

This is a battle against time, and any donations (all tax deductible) will be welcome! THEY WOULD ALSO WELCOME ANY CONTACT WITH CORPORATIONS.

Chilean Heart (Spanish: Corazón del Chileno, lit. Chilean’s Heart) is a FIRSTrobotics team based in Estación Central, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile. It has participated in the Los Angeles and Great Lakes regionals. It is the only such team in Chile.^[1][

( http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Chile_Earthquake/chile-earthquake-chilean-earthquake-stronger-haitis/story?id=9963716 )

Cars were overturned after the highway they were traveling on was destroyed in an earthquake in Santiago, Chile, Feb. 27, 2010. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck the South American nation early Saturday, knocking down homes and hospitals.

(Reuters)

( http://a.abcnews.com/images/International/rt_chile_bridge_100227_mn.jpg)