Fred Beans Group

The community showed its support for Palisades High School?s Cybersonics Technology Team #103 on Saturday, May 4, by coming out ?in droves? to raise money for the robotics club through Ford Motor Company?s Drive 4 UR School program.

Just shy of 200 people hopped in a new Ford and took a spin around the block ? or, in many cases, quite a bit further than that ? to earn the robotics club a $20 donation from the manufacturer for each test-drive. The unofficial tally for this event is 194 test-drives, bringing the club $3,880 if all the surveys are approved by Ford.

Last fall, a similar Lincoln Drive Smart for Your School event netted the club $2,340.

?We?re really pleased by the increase in the numbers of test-drives,? says Christian Willman, technology and engineering teacher and advisor for the club. ?Next time around, we expect to reach our goal of 300 test-drives for Ford?s maximum contribution of $6,000.?

The Cybersonics must raise $100,000 a year to cover the program?s costs, which include materials and travel to several competitions. Just last week the team was in St. Louis for a major competition.

To qualify for the Ford donation, the test-driver must be 18 years or older, and only one qualified test-drive per household address is acceptable. There is absolutely no obligation to buy anything and no sales pitch. This is a no-pressure community event during which Fred Beans personnel only answer questions and help out.

Besides thirteen 2013 test-drive vehicles ? F-350 SuperDuty truck, F-150 truck, Expedition, Escape, Explorer, Fusion and Fusion hybrid, Fiesta, Edge, Taurus, Focus, C-Max EV and Mustang ? the Doylestown dealership provided personnel and promotional assistance for the event.

?We?re very grateful to Fred Beans Ford for again partnering with us to raise money for the Cybersonics,? said Willman.

The Drive 4 UR School event was held before, during and after the Palisades Community Foundation 5K Challenge at the high school, 35 Church Hill Road in Kintnersville.

Local children?s author Debbie Dadey engaged 58 children and their moms, dads or other significant adults on April 25 when Fred Beans Family of Dealerships in Doylestown hosted Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day® for the children of its employees.

Similar programs took place at the Beans dealerships in Limerick and in Flemington, New Jersey.

Hanging out at their parents? worksites, the kids took part in tasks, tours and interacting with workplace co-workers, learning about the adults? jobs and what it feels like to work for a dynamic company that has so many different facets and responsibilities.

After the morning?s activities, parents and children met up at the Fred Beans Ford dealership for box lunches and the day?s special program with Dadey, which included a book signing of titles that were gifts from the Beans organization to each youngster there.

Dadey talked about what inspired her to write for young people and where she gets her ideas ? including co-writing with her children. She also answered the children?s questions.

The former librarian and elementary school teacher is the author of such best-selling children?s book series as Mermaid Tales, The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids, The Swamp Monster in Third Grade, The Slime Wars, Ghostville Elementary, The Bailey School Kids Junior Chapter Books and the Keyholders. Her home is in Bucks County with her three dogs, three kids and husband.

The Cybersonics Technology Team 103 of Palisades High School in Kintnersville in upper Bucks County has again partnered with Fred Beans Ford of Doylestown to present a test-drive event to raise money through Ford Motor Company?s Drive 4 UR School program.

Test drives of Ford vehicles, provided by Fred Beans Ford in Doylestown, will be tallied by Ford Motor Company, which will donate $20 per qualified test drive to Palisades High School for its Cybersonics program, up to $6,000.

To qualify for the Ford donation, the test-driver must be 18 years or older, and only one qualified test-drive per household address is acceptable. There is absolutely no obligation to buy anything and no sales pitch?this is a no-pressure community event.

This spring?s event will take place from 7am till 12noon as part of the activities before, during and after the Palisades Community Foundation?s annual 5K Challenge run and 1-mile Community Walk.

It?s easy to raise money for Cybersonics. Simply show up, fill out a short form, hop into a waiting Ford and drive around the block with a Fred Beans representative. When you?re finished, you complete the brief survey on the back of your form, drop it off with the Cybersonics volunteers ? and you?re finished!

Parents and older siblings of Palisades students, members of the local community, nonresidents of the immediate area, ALL are invited to participate, with NO sales pitch, NO obligation to buy anything and NO commitment.

The high school is at 35 Church Hill Rd, Kintnersville, PA 18930.

Last fall the Cybersonics team participated in the Lincoln test-drive fundraiser, which operates just like the Ford program. The school raised $2,340. For this second go, students and advisors are aiming to get much closer to the $6,000 ? or 300 test drives ? limit that the program imposes.

Founded in 1995 to compete in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, the Cybersonics Team is a group of about 30 students from the rural Palisades High School. Initially focused on technology-based interests, Cybersonics has since expanded into communications, graphic and web design, computer-generated artwork, business management and journalism.

Team 103 has won numerous awards in all areas of competition, including the coveted Chairman?s Award in 2003, marking a pinnacle of achievement for the school-based group. It is supported in part by fundraisers and donations and the efforts of parents, community members and area businesses.