ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – The U.P. State Fair begins next week, with new educational and fun opportunities for young people.
Due to changes at the Miracle of Life Pavilion this year, Robot Fair Play is filling some of the space with Lego activities courtesy of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).
“I was looking for donated Legos and wasn’t getting a very big response,” said Robot Fair Play coordinator Denise Messina. “Then, our FIRST headquarters said, ‘We are actually looking to donate some Legos and we would love to do that for you.’ No cost to us. They actually asked one of the couriers to pick up the cost to ship it, so it didn’t cost us anything even for shipping.”
This week, Robot Fair Play received nearly one ton of Legos. The majority of the Legos will be used for a collaborative “Big Build,” in which participants of all ages are invited to create a Lego farming community. Robot Fair Play also plans to run an “Inspiration Station” where kindergarten through fifth graders can engineer their own creations.
“They can build something and then they should be able to take that creation with them home,” said Messina. “Another event that we’re having is a ‘doodle art’ activity. That will also be a collaboration for any ages that want to come and contribute to a piece of art.”
All of the Lego events are in addition to the robotics demonstrations and robot driving school that Robot Fair Play holds at the front of the fairgrounds, beginning Tuesday. In addition to providing a creative outlet for kids attending the fair, Messina says the activities also promote FIRST Lego leagues and robotics teams throughout the U.P.
“I’m very proud to be able to introduce this to everybody,” she said. “A lot of people are not familiar with the fact that we have these programs for kids. It’s amazing to watch kids come in who might be meek, mild, and all of a sudden, you just see the light come on in their eyes. That’s why I do what I do with our FIRST programs.”
For more information on Robot Fair Play and to see more of what’s to come at the U.P. State Fair, follow Robot Fair Play on Facebook.
WZMQ 19 is a proud Reserve Champion Sponsor of the 2024 U.P. State Fair. On Monday, WZMQ 19 will have more on why the Miracle of Life Pavilion will look a bit different this year, how the avian flu is impacting the fair, and the first of several live reports from the fairgrounds.
