Robotics with a mission to serve
Team 79 Krunch members have fun carrying out service projects and learning about the world. We work with our community partners on projects that focus on STEAM while also promoting peace and education, fighting disease, advancing women in STEAM, growing local economies, protecting the environment, and supporting our troops and veterans.
Service, in every direction
Relief efforts, local to global
Originally called Kids Reaching Universally For New Chances of Hope, and rebranded in 2022 as KrunchAid, Team 79 strives to provide support to those in need locally, nationally, and around the world. While not completely inclusive of all our efforts during the past 20 years, these are some of the relief efforts we have supported.
Relay For Life
Over five years, members raised over $16,000 to fight cancer through Relay For Life, the "Turning Pink" campaign at FIRST® competitions, and selling First Aid for Life kits. Dedicated to our mentor Barry Leedy, who lost his battle to cancer in 2011.
Hurricane Ian Supply Drive
With catastrophic flooding and winds up to 150 mph, Hurricane Ian devastated Florida and Cuba. Team 79 Krunch collected essential items distributed by the US Coast Guard to those affected.
Letters From Home
Believing in supporting our troops and veterans, we wrote 100+ letters to combat troops worldwide to help them feel less separation from family and friends.
Pancreatic Cancer Memorial Garden
In memory of a Rotary family member, we helped the Rotary Club of East Lake Sunrise clear an area at the East Lake Community Library for a memorial garden and pancreatic cancer awareness.
Krunch Food Drive
Members collected over 500 lbs of non-perishable foods and canned goods, feeding approximately 500 people, donated to FEAST, a local food bank.
Diabetes Walkathon
Team 79 Krunch participated in three walks, helping raise over $1,500 for treatment and research toward a cure for diabetes.
Clearwater Religious Community Services
We collected and donated over 120 pounds of clothes and shoes to help those in need in Pinellas County.
KrunchAid – Ukraine Drive
In partnership with Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church, we supported the United for Ukraine Supplies Drive, collecting 200 lbs of items for those in war-torn Ukraine.
Supporting Our FIRST® Family
After Hurricane Katrina, we collected and delivered in-person necessities and school supplies to Eleanor McMain High School in New Orleans, home of FIRST® Team 1920 Hurricanes.
Legos for Africa
Three shipments totaling over 400 lbs of Legos, warm clothing, shoes, and toys sent to St. Teresa's Convent for impoverished children in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, often their first new, good-quality clothes and toys.
Krunch Helping Honduras
We collected over 40 boxes of reusable school supplies and arranged transport to a rural, one-room school in Trujillo, Honduras.
Krunch Assistance Team
In the spirit of Gracious Professionalism®, in 2010 we established a help desk to assist other teams with "everything robotics" at FIRST® competitions, expanding in 2019 and 2021 to supply first-aid kits and personal hygiene supplies.
Featured on local and national media
Helping us promote FIRST® and STEM throughout our community and beyond, Team 79 Krunch has been featured on local and national Fox, PBS, NBC, Discovery Channel, and CNN programs and in local and regional newspapers.
“Dolphin Tale” – Winter the Dolphin
In 2012, we showcased FIRST® and STEM with a robot visit to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, home of Winter the Dolphin. Shown on three news stations across Tampa Bay, relaying the FIRST® message to over 1 million residents (including a Fox 13 broadcast).
WPBF 25 News
Team 79 Krunch was featured in the West Palm Beach News (WPBF 25 News) at the 2023 FIRST® South Florida Regional Robotics Competition.
ABC-TV "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
ABC-TV invited us to transform a bedroom for 12-year-old Charlie Dolan into a cyber-wonderland with a 5-foot ceiling-mounted robotic arm and a hidden playing field of miniature robots. (Season 2, Episode 21, Parts 1 & 2.)
- FOX 13
- PBS
- NBC
- Discovery Channel
- CNN
- ABC
- WPBF 25
Teaming up to affect real change
Team 79 Krunch is always looking to "team up" with new community partners and corporate sponsors who share our mission and values. Here are some accomplishments we have achieved together.
SCUBAnauts & Habitat for Humanity
With SCUBAnauts we cleaned Dunedin beaches after Hurricane Irma. With Habitat for Humanity, members "passed the hammer" to help prepare two new homes for local families.
TALOS Internship (SOCOM)
CTEF and MITRE joined with U.S. Special Operations Command to task our students, with five other Florida FRC teams, to research, design, and prototype parts of a Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit ("Iron Man" suit).
East Lake Community Library
We greatly appreciate this partnership. Krunch has sponsored the library's Lego Robotics Club (a 6-week program for grades 3-9), hosted an Open House, and holds our weekly meetings there, and built a robotics storage shed on its property.
Tampa Bay Troop Support
We collect items and ship packages, cards, letters, snacks, and personal products to service members overseas. In one year alone we collected 53 baskets, nearly $2,000 worth of food, for our military families for the holidays.
Underwater Unmanned Vehicle
In 2015, with MITRE, FIRST® Robotics, Kettering University, and CTEF, members completed an 8-month internship building an underwater vehicle for depths up to 100 feet, presented at MacDill Air Force Base.
SOFWERX Demonstration
SOFWERX in Tampa, an innovation platform for U.S. Special Operations Command, invited members to perform a robot demonstration and supports local FIRST® teams.
Honeywell Engineering Course
With Honeywell, our founder and top sponsor since 1997, we hosted a free 8-week electrical engineering course led by Honeywell mentors, covering semiconductors, motor controllers, solenoids, robot wiring, sensors, and cRIOs.
ToyMakers
We helped ToyMakers refurbish bicycles for those in need and made toys for underprivileged children during the holiday season.
Suncoast Animal League
For several years, members volunteered time and collected food and supplies for this local, no-kill animal shelter.
Raising Hope
With Raising Hope, Inc., members collected pajamas for foster children and provided gifts for two homeless families during the holidays in Pinellas County.
MOSI Summer Camps
We partnered with the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa to offer 6 weeks of summer robotics workshops for students in grades 3-8.
Salvation Army
With the Rotary Club of East Lake Sunrise, we joined the Red Kettle "Ring The Bell" campaign and adopted a family of 5 through the Angel Tree Program.
Sparking interest in STEM close to home
STEM Inspiration – T-Shirt Cannon
Since 2009, our t-shirt cannon robot has impressed students and adults across Pinellas, Pasco, and Hillsborough. Featured on live TV during a 2010 pep rally reaching over 1 million people, it has appeared in 100+ demonstrations.
USF Engineering Expo
To promote STEM and spark young minds, we participate in engineering expos and projects with the University of South Florida.
Krunch Summer Workshops
For over a decade, members and alumni ran summer workshops for grades 3-8, plus a GIRLS ONLY workshop for ages 13-15. Over 1,800 students learned how robotics uses math and science while building a small robot.
Clearwater Library SPARK Program
We initiated the SPARK Program at the Clearwater Public Library for underprivileged elementary students, and in 2016 hosted a SPARK Expo with the City of Clearwater and its mayor for an audience of over 300 kids.
Defense Manufacturing Conference
Perhaps our most rewarding outreach event: attending alongside keynote speaker Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST®, and nine other teams, educating 3,000+ industry professionals on the benefits of FIRST®.
Hazardous Waste & Recycling
At Krunch Waste Events, we help ensure proper disposal of dangerous products. Per Pinellas County Utilities, we served 1,000+ visitors and collected over 1 million pounds of electronics, paint, chemicals, and batteries, 98% converted directly into recycled products.
Tempest 'N' Tampa → ROBOTICON
In 2007 we started our signature off-season event, TNT, growing it from the University of Tampa to the USF Sun Dome, hosting FRC, FTC, FLL, and VEX events with an overnight "lock-in." By 2013 it became ROBOCON, and today it is ROBOTICON Tampa Bay, which we still proudly support.
Dinos and Dragons Opening Night
We were invited to demonstrate our robot and inspire guests about STEM at the Museum of Archaeology, Paleontology & Science in New Port Richey.
Cruisin' The Park Festival
Since 2006, we have supported the Rotary Club of East Lake Sunrise's community festival and car show (200-250 cars, 3,000-4,000 attendees), from flyers to the food tent to t-shirt demonstrations.
Touch-A-Truck & Safety Fair
For many years we have joined the Lowe's Touch-A-Truck Safety Fair, creating excitement about robotics and promoting FIRST® and STEM.
Rotary Road Clean-Ups
Starting in 2022, members have helped fellow Rotarians keep Pinellas County clean and beautiful with road clean-ups.
Inspiring Future Leaders
Through robot demonstrations at elementary, middle, and high schools, we show youth the opportunities in STEM. Members have mentored school STEM clubs and supported the start of 40 FIRST® teams.
A few of the schools we have inspired:
Let's affect real change together
Team 79 Krunch is always looking to work with new community partners and corporate sponsors who share our mission and values.
Get in touch