[UCRRA] Volunteers are Needed for the 2026 FIRST LEGO League season

[Cristina Otegui]

[image: A close-up of a sign Description automatically generated]



October 15, 2026

To:

UCR Emeriti & Retirees



From:

UCR Retirement Center on Behalf of the FIRST Lego League Tournament in
Riverside



Re:

Volunteers are Needed for the 2026 FIRST LEGO League season



Emeriti and retirees are invited to volunteer and support the FIRST LEGO
League (FLL) robotics tournament at UC Riverside on *Saturday, November 14,
2026* and at Bourns Inc. on *Saturday, December 12, 2026*. Please consider
volunteering at one or both of these events to help make them a success.
It's a load of fun for everyone, and the December 12 event might especially
be in need of volunteers because it's the last day of final exams at UCR.

The UCR event will be the only tournament in Southern California this
season to be held at a university campus. Others will be at local schools
or school district offices. This is FIRST LEGO League's last season before
a major overhaul in 2027. UCR has a 20-year history of supporting FLL, and
we want our last event to be a great experience for the teams, their
families, our volunteers, and the entire UCR community. Please join us!

*Key Volunteer Roles*

No knowledge of robotics is required, and training will be provided online
beforehand and in person on the morning of the event.

·       Setup in the MSE Building and Winston Chung Hall on Friday,
November 13, 2026 from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.

·       Robot Game referees and field resetters, Saturday, November 14,
2026 from approximately 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

·       Pit area supervisors and team queueing, Saturday, November 14, 2026
from approximately 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (partial-day roles also available).

·       Referees, resetters, judges, and other roles for the Regional
Tournament, Saturday, December 12, 2026 at the Bourns Technology Center in
Riverside (last day of final exams).

*How to Volunteer *

Please visit firstinspires.org, create an account, and navigate to event
volunteering for FLL Challenge. (From a mobile device, you might have to
click first on "find events and teams.") You can search by date and
location. All volunteers will be prompted to accept FLL's privacy policy
and to authorize a background check under FLL's Youth Protection Policy.

* More Events in More Places*

FLL will be having more than 30 Qualifying Tournaments and Regional
Tournaments in November, December, and January all around Southern
California. Other nearby events this season that will welcome your help
include:

·       Val Verde Qualifying Tournament, Perris, November 7, 2026.

·       Don Bosco Tech Regional Tournament, Rosemead, December 5, 2026 (the
first day of final exams at UCR).

·       Southern California Championships, Mission Viejo, January 17, 2027
(the Sunday of the MLK holiday weekend).



*For More Information*

For any questions or if you are interested in volunteering, please contact
Mitch Boretz, UCR retiree and FLL Head Referee for Southern California by
email at mitchboretz at gmail.com.
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