On Thursday, Dec. 12, Highlander Robotics Team 8033 hosted the first Great Gingerbread Build FUNdraiser at the Piedmont Community Hall. The lively event featured pre-built gingerbread constructions in a silent auction and also a live building contest, along with festive drinks and food.
Pre-Built: Most Creative award went to “Highlander Village” by Kevin and Melissa Clark. It featured spinning gingerbread people operated by a hand crank. 
Pre-Built: Best Design “Candy Cane Cantina”, featuring a candy cane dispensing wine, controlled by light sensors along with a spinning gingerbread man and led lights. By Ken Khouri, Wendy Cerrutti, Vaughn and Connor Khouri.
Piedmont Maker board member Ben Stein served as auctioneer and showed off his newly cultivated bid calling skills. Competition among over 17 building teams for awards was fierce, and judges Michael Malione, Dave Ragones, and Sid Jajodia had their work cut out for them.
Live Build: Best Design winners Piedmont Maker board members: (L-R) Margaret Bridges, Lara Oliver Chu, Rebecca Heywood, Regina O’Connor. They received a laser-cut ornament made by team members in the engineering lab. 
Live Build: Most Creative award went to “Christmas Movie”.
We would like to thank our sponsors Anatomic Iron and donors Wente Vinyards, The Four Seasons, Lawrence Livermore Lab, the Exedra, PEF and several generous individuals who made our FUNdraiser a great success!
The Judges award went to this gingerbread version of Team 8033’s 2024 robot Banshee. Constructed by Marta Lutsky, Sean Carr, Ben Stein and Arin Kramer. 
Awards displayed here were custom designed, cut and laser etched by students in the engineering lab. 
Students from Team 8033 take a break from volunteering to make their own gingerbread house in the kitchen.
Fun event!