Veteran FIRST FRC Robotics Team Wins 2016 MBC Challenge Cup Social Media Challenge
Piedmont Governor’s School STAGS create social buzz for their team on Twitter and Facebook
June 1, 2016 – South Boston, VA – This year marked the second year that Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC) sponsored the MBC Challenge Cup social media challenge as part of the MBC Challenge Cup, a competition that rewards superior performance by FIRST FRC robotics teams in Southern Virginia. MBC is pleased to announce that the Piedmont Governor’s School STAGS, mentored by Mr. Brian Pace, was the winning team for 2016.
The social media challenge is a competition whereby the MBC-sponsored teams can create buzz about their teams on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #MBCChallengeCup and their identifying team hashtag. The teams had one month, aligning with the dates of the district events, to create their conversations on these two platforms. This year #MBCChallengeCup was mentioned 6,541 times by five teams who participated in the social media competition. The STAGS were the winners, generating 3,339 mentions for their team during the competition period. As winners of the social media challenge, each team member of the STAGS received a $20 Amazon gift card.
The STAGS had a stellar 2016 season with their robot, finishing in second place as a District Event Finalist at the Southwest Virginia Event in Blacksburg, receiving the Imagery Award at the Hampton Roads Event in Portsmouth, and qualifying for the FIRST Chesapeake District Championship in College Park, MD. The team brought home silver from the Chesapeake District Championship Event as a District Championship Finalist and there qualified for advancement to the FIRST World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri. In St. Louis, the STAGS finished in the top 20 teams of their 75 team division.
MBC has invested more than $228,000 for FIRST FRC robotics programs since 2012 to help meet the workforce demands of current and future companies in the Southern Virginia region. This year, the number of robotics teams in Southern Virginia nearly doubled from six in 2015 to eleven in 2016 in an effort by MBC to bolster the STEM education opportunities for students in the region. STEM education is a major facet that companies seek when deciding on a location for their operations, and as such, is important for the growth of economies.
About Mid-Atlantic Broadband
Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC) is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization, committed to bridging the digital divide, promoting economic development, reducing the burdens of government and reinvesting in communities. MBC accomplishes this by operating an advanced open access fiber optic network, providing wholesale telecommunications transport services, colocation and tower leasing. Since its inception in 2004 and by offering a state-of-the-art fiber optic network, MBC has supported the recruitment of major investments to southern Virginia including data centers, call center/operations centers, advanced manufacturing, research and development, and bio-tech industries. For more information, visit www.mbc-va.com.