Holy Gears 20159 Trunk-or-Treat: STEM, Smiles, and Spooky Science!

This weekend, Holy Gears FTC Team 20159 jumped into the Halloween spirit at Alpena’s Trunk-or-Treat — and we brought the mad lab with us!

With glowing beakers, bubbling “experiments,” safety goggles, and some very enthusiastic junior scientists, our team created a full hands-on, STEM-themed Halloween experience for the community.

And wow… what a turnout.

The crowd stretched across the lot and wrapped around the building. We estimate 1,200+ kids (and plenty of parents!) stopped by our trunk to say hello, take candy, and check out our robotics crew.

Our Theme: “Mad Scientist Lab – Holy Gears Edition”

The students designed, set up, and ran the entire display, mixing science fun with Halloween excitement. Our setup included:

🧪 Colored “chemical” concoctions in beakers and flasks

🧬 Safety gloves and goggles for the full scientist look

🕸️ Cobwebs, creepy crawlies, caution tape, and glowing lights

🍬 Buckets and buckets of candy

🚗 And of course — our Holy Gears banner flying proudly from the trunk!

Some students went all-in with lab coats splattered in (fake!) science spill… maybe blood… we’ll never tell.

Others handed out candy, walked kids through the experiments, or helped keep the spooky atmosphere going.

They were engaged, patient, kind, welcoming, and they represented our school and community beautifully.

Why We Do Events Like This

Holy Gears isn’t just about robots.

We believe in:

• Building confidence

• Growing leadership

• Serving our community

• Sharing the joy of STEM with others

Trunk-or-Treat gave our team the chance to meet new families, connect with younger students who might one day join Robotics, and simply spread joy.

And judging by the smiles (and candy wrappers), we think it worked! 🎃✨

A HUGE Thank You

To the families, the community, the organizers, and every single child who stopped by:

THANK YOU.

Your excitement fuels us — in the lab, in the workshop, and on the field.