The robotics team from Oak Harbor High School took home a Spirit Award at the World Robotics Championships in St. Louis, one of only four teams out of the 600 competing to do so.

The award recognizes the difference the team has made in the community, said teacher Gary Thayer. They also placed 51st in the robotics portion of the event.

Twenty-two members of the Wildcat Robotics Club traveled to the event, and they couldn’t have done it without the support of the community, said Che Edoga. He teaches robotics at the high school and leads the club. He wasn’t able to attend the event because of illness.

The community raised more than $30,000 so the students could attend. One person who lives in St. Louis but owns property in Oak Harbor took care of two team dinners.

“The community really came through for us,” he said.

Edoga remembers a time when he had just a handful of students involved on the team and they simply weren’t big enough to be competitive at a high level. The students put in the work to grow and improve. Some of the projects they’ve completed include a robotic arm for a local girl and a realistic deer to catch predators.

They’re working on a water-purifying tricycle designed for sub-Saharan Africa.

The focus of the program is on building not just robots, but the future innovators who will change the world. The organization behind the event places a strong emphasis on making a difference in the community.

“I am so proud of all of them,” he said. “Not for winning awards or anything like that, but more for the fact that they all worked as a team to do it.”