Railey Realty was happy to host the GaCo team for their day-long telethon over Labor Day Weekend. The Garrett Coalition, or GaCo for short, is a local organization that provides instruction for elementary school aged children, hosts a nationally competitive robotics team, and donates and supports more than 30 other local organizations. The main focus of GaCo is to get Garrett County students STEM ready, which covers Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The robotics team, #1629, is made up of high-school students who build a robot and compete in nation-wide competitions. The team has routinely won national accolades, including the national championship title last year.
In an effort to raise money for this group, Railey Realty was happy to offer our office to serve as home-base for a brand-new fundraiser for GaCo - a 16 hour, 29 minute live telethon. The event was live-streamed on YouTube and featured 'hall of fame' mentors, students, and community members who joined both in-person and via zoom on the live stream. Guests from Railey Realty included Rich Orr, Jon Bell, Bill Weissgerber, and Elizabeth Ware. Railey Realty was happy to be the first donation, joining in on the #1629 theme, donating $1,629.
The goal for the telethon was $16,290 - and GaCo not only raised that, but surpassed that goal throughout the day. The day ended just above $18,000, with a private donor pledging an additional $16,290, making the total amount raised upwards of $35,000.
In addition to the robotics team that travels across the country to compete, GaCo regularly attends local elementary schools to teach STEM to 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. The projects for each class feature a principle of STEM that's made easy and fun to understand. The hope is that an early introduction to STEM will result in a life-long passion and interest in these fields.
Congratulations to Chuck and his entire team on this incredible fundraiser!
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