Local community Robotics Team qualifies for VEX Worlds, seeks travel support

Monday, April 6, 2026 at 12:00 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

A local community-based robotics team has earned a spot on the global stage, but they need the public's help to make the trip a reality.

"Mechannibalism," a Plymouth robotics team, has officially qualified for the VEX V5 World Championships after an impressive run to the semifinals in recent competition. The team is made up of four local students: Miles, Michael, Chloe, and Olivia. Remarkably, the squad consists of just three high school freshmen and one seventh grader who battled against top-tier competitors to secure their World Championship bid.

The team operates under Top Tier Robotics, a Plymouth-based nonprofit organization founded on the belief that children can achieve anything when given the freedom to explore and feel supported. Because it is a community program, Top Tier Robotics works with students regardless of which school they attend and relies entirely on grants and donations to operate.

The VEX V5 World Championships will take place from April 21 through April 24 in St. Louis, Missouri. However, competing at this elite level comes with a significant price tag. The four-day event carries a total estimated cost of $7,258, which covers travel, lodging, and competition registration fees.

To help offset these expenses and prevent the financial burden from falling entirely on the students' parents, organizer Jed Wandland has launched a GoFundMe campaign.

According to the fundraising page, the four students have poured countless hours into their dream—spending late nights solving mechanical and coding problems, documenting their processes, and analyzing data to make critical engineering decisions.

"This team isn’t just about building robots. It’s about building confidence, resilience, and a future for students who dare to believe they can create something bigger than themselves," the campaign states. "Chloe, Michael, Miles, and Olivia are four amazing kids that support each other through every win and loss. They have been through a lot and have overcome significant obstacles in school and their personal lives in order to reach this point."

Community members interested in supporting the team's journey to St. Louis can contribute to the GoFundMe campaign to help these young engineers compete on the global stage.