WMU Sunseeker Solar Car Project is seeking funding for their upcoming race in June/July. WMU has competed in every American Solar Challenge from 1990 on. Not even UM has managed to qualify for every race, WMU Broncos have.
Teams like UM don't have to worry much about fund raising, they just go to the UM Foundation and ask them to write a check for however much it will take to buy the very best components off the shelf-they even have their car's solar array professionally built. The Bronco team performs on a budget and does much of the Fab work itself to reduce costs.
They do a great job on a limited budget, so if you want to donate a few Dollars for a Tax Writeoff it would be very much appreciated:
https://wmich.edu/sunseeker/
To add:
UofM has their solar car made by Rousch Industries. WMU Sunseeker students do nearly all the fabrication in house.
The UofM car is budgeted at around $2.1MM. The WMU Sunseeker is about 1/10th of that.
Definitely support if you can. EVERY little bit helps!
With a large enough donation from the right donor, we could be looking at the Acer Racer.
Honestly, our kids are so amazing they don't need 2 million bucks. Just give them some cash to pay for the trip and they will be stellar. The last few years have been tough - sleeping in tents, not sure how to afford meals, etc... The University doesn't have money to throw their way anymore, so they need help.
I had lunch with a bunch of young engineers who all graduated from Western and were active in Sunseeker when they were there and we talked alumni donating to support the team. I'm going to donate and so is everyone else at the table.
UM does their usual thing, they sock it to their Foundation and well-heeled Alumni. They get a couple of Million Dollars in the Bank then they go buy the best solar array money can buy. They buy the best battery pack money can buy. The buy the best motors and peak power tracker that money can buy. Well, you get the idea.
Our team makes do with about 1/10th (max) of the UM budget, as broncofan1 noted above. That means they have to make a lot of things themselves, like the Array and the chassis. And they do a great job, but it's still a challenge. We need to see that program budgeted better so they can at least purchase a top quality, weather proof Array.
It's all tax deductable folks and many companies will match your donation so you get twice the bang for the Buck. Look into it, these students are doing a great job representing our University with little fanfare or acclaim.
(02-22-2017 03:30 PM)broncofan1 Wrote: [ -> ]Honestly, our kids are so amazing they don't need 2 million bucks. Just give them some cash to pay for the trip and they will be stellar. The last few years have been tough - sleeping in tents, not sure how to afford meals, etc... The University doesn't have money to throw their way anymore, so they need help.
For whatever reason the University has not been overly generous to this team. I recognize the WMU Foundation from which all funds come from has a lot of demands for their capital, but the WMU Sunseeker Solar Car Team has been battling top budgeted competition since 1990. It's time they were better funded.
This is great marketing for the WMU School of Engineering. If the exposure from the Sunseeker Solar Car attracts only 10 more students to our School of Engineering it has MORE than paid for itself (10 students x $ 10k/year x 4 years = $ 400,000.00). These cars participate in parades in Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Kalamazoo and get a lot of exposure to prospective Engineering Students. This is not just a student activity, it's a MARKETING PROGRAM for Western Michigan University School of Engineering and should be funded that way.
(02-22-2017 03:48 PM)BroncoPhilly Wrote: [ -> ] (02-22-2017 03:30 PM)broncofan1 Wrote: [ -> ]Honestly, our kids are so amazing they don't need 2 million bucks. Just give them some cash to pay for the trip and they will be stellar. The last few years have been tough - sleeping in tents, not sure how to afford meals, etc... The University doesn't have money to throw their way anymore, so they need help.
For whatever reason the University has not been overly generous to this team. I recognize the WMU Foundation from which all funds come from has a lot of demands for their capital, but the WMU Sunseeker Solar Car Team has been battling top budgeted competition since 1990. It's time they were better funded.
This is great marketing for the WMU School of Engineering. If the exposure from the Sunseeker Solar Car attracts only 10 more students to our School of Engineering it has MORE than paid for itself (10 students x $ 10k/year x 4 years = $ 400,000.00). These cars participate in parades in Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Kalamazoo and get a lot of exposure to prospective Engineering Students. This is not just a student activity, it's a MARKETING PROGRAM for Western Michigan University School of Engineering and should be funded that way.
Preaching to the choir.
I donated $ 1000.00 last week to the Sunseeker Program, that will help them buy a new 24' trailer. The old one was decades old and leaked like crazy.
WMU Foundation sent me a receipt for tax purposes, so it's all good. And it helps a great group of Broncos trying to keep WMU Engineering in the forefront in the nation. Anyone want to join me in donating????
(04-23-2017 09:13 PM)BroncoPhilly Wrote: [ -> ]I donated $ 1000.00 last week to the Sunseeker Program, that will help them buy a new 24' trailer. The old one was decades old and leaked like crazy.
WMU Foundation sent me a receipt for tax purposes, so it's all good. And it helps a great group of Broncos trying to keep WMU Engineering in the forefront in the nation. Anyone want to join me in donating????
(04-23-2017 09:13 PM)BroncoPhilly Wrote: [ -> ]I donated $ 1000.00 last week to the Sunseeker Program, that will help them buy a new 24' trailer. The old one was decades old and leaked like crazy.
WMU Foundation sent me a receipt for tax purposes, so it's all good. And it helps a great group of Broncos trying to keep WMU Engineering in the forefront in the nation. Anyone want to join me in donating????
Doesn't GM still have the matching grants program? Dont forget to send that in.