Agenda

**EVENT UPDATE (SEPT 5)**

Due to a logistical issue with the venue, Sugar Rush 2026 will now be held on January 4-5, 2026. This is 1 day later than the original plans, meaning that the event will be held on SUNDAY and MONDAY. As a result of this push, the registration timeline has also been pushed by 1 day. Registration will open on Sunday, September 14, 2025 (Early Bird) and Sunday, September 28, 2025 (Standard).

We know that this may cause some inconvenience for teams that were planning to attend the event, and we truly apologize. At this point in time, it is out of our hands and we hope that you are still able to attend Sugar Rush 2026 and have a FANTASTIC experience. Please do not hesitate to contact our team with questions by emailing [email protected].

Please note all times are projected and are subject to change during the event.

Sunday, January 4th, 2026

12:00 PM - Check In, Inspection, Practice Fields & Pits Open

1:30 PM - Opening Ceremony & Event Meeting

2:30 PM - Qualification Matches and Skills Open

5:30 PM - Sweets Division Dinner Break (Skills will remain open as available)

6:30PM - Sweets Division Qualification Matches resume

6:30 PM - Treats Division Dinner Break (Skills will remain open as available)

7:30PM - Treats Division Qualification Matches resume

9:30 PM - Qualification Matches End and Skills Close

9:40 PM - Practice Fields & Doors Close

Monday, January 5th, 2026

8:00 AM - Doors & Practice Fields Open

8:30 AM - Qualification Matches and Skills Open

11:15 AM - Qualification Matches End and Skills Close

11:30 AM - Alliance Selection

12:00 PM - Lunch Break

1:00 PM - Elimination Matches

3:15 PM - Awards

3:45 PM - Doors Close

Volunteer

Our Mission Statement

The Sugar Rush Signature Event is a unique experience, driven by the guiding principle of being “By Students, For Students.” The most impactful events are created by individuals who have walked the same path and truly understand what it takes to make them exceptional. Sugar Rush was originally envisioned by a group of high school students, and this dream has been realized only through the dedication and hard work of VEX Alumni.

Our Volunteer Plan

Our General Volunteer form is NOW Open! See the link below. Our goal is to fill as many positions as possible with VEX Robotics Alumni, but anyone is welcome to register. This helps us drive home our mission statement listed above.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E48AEAF2AA1FCC43-59603822-sugar#/

Emergency/Bad Weather Policy

Teams will be notified 24 hours prior to the event if there is a weather concern for the event.

Refund and Payment Policies

If the Event Partner cancels the event: 

No refunds will be made.  

If a Coach/Mentor completes registration for the event then chooses to withdraw or not attend:

Due to the high expense for the event, registration fees are non-refundable. 

The event registration fee must be paid within 2 weeks of registration. Teams that are added to the event from the waitlist are required to pay for the event registration fee within 1 week. Teams registering less than 2 weeks before the registration deadline must pay at the time of registration. Any team that fails to pay for their registration within these guidelines will be moved to the waitlist and the spot will be opened up to other teams.

Date: 4-Jan-2026 - 5-Jan-2026

Travel Info

Please review the hotel website for directions. https://www.hersheylodge.com/contact.php

The closest airport in Harrisburg International Airport https://www.flyhia.com/. It is approximately a 15 min drive to the venue.

Hotel Reservations

In Pennsylvania, students under 18 years of age cannot check into a room by themselves. For rooms reserved exclusively for students, the Hershey Lodge requires a list of all reservations associated with your school or organization. For example, if John Doe (a student) has a reservation under East High School, this reservation must be included on a list with others from East High School.

To facilitate this process, the Hershey Lodge Reservation team has provided the google form below to create reservations. The lodge will group your reservations and send a confirmation within 7-10 days. They will pre-key and pre-package them according to the school or organization. They will also ensure that rooms are blocked near each other.

At check-in, only the adult contacts for each school or organization will be allowed to pick up the packets and distribute the keys to their students. If the designated adult contact is not attending the event, you must notify the Hershey Lodge and provide the correct adult contact information.

Regarding payments, please follow the instructions on the form. The Hershey Lodge Reservation team accepts Credit Card or Check. Pricing is as shown below:

01/03/2026 - $195.00 per room plus 11% taxes = $216.45.
01/04/2026 - $185.00 per room plus 11% taxes = $205.35.
01/05/2026 - $185.00 per room plus 11% taxes = $205.35.

Booking Link: https://forms.gle/x2ekJhBUGqaAXBBp

If you have any questions, need assistance with reservations, or require further help, please contact Hershey Lodge Group Reservation Coordinator, Mackenzie Robertson, at 717-520-5433 or their reservation agents at 855-729-3108, and they will assist you. Note: To recieve the discounted rate there is a 2 night minimum stay required.

Behavior 

Please remember that while VEX and RECF rules apply to the competition itself, everyone must always follow federal, state, and local laws, as well as the policies of Hershey Lodge. For more information on Hershey Lodge's policies, visit: https://www.hersheyentertainmentandresorts.com/policies-and-guest-expectations.

Webcast

There will be a live stream PER division PER day (4 in total). All ceremonies and final matches will be casted to both pages as able.

Day 1

Sweets Division: https://youtube.com/live/fQoOJ_XyslE?feature=share

Treats Division: https://youtube.com/live/wUcZTarU7ys?feature=share

Day 2

Sweets Division: https://youtube.com/live/m_J74mfy9Uc?feature=share

Treats Division: https://youtube.com/live/aA2WkzUgYTE?feature=share

Judging Format

Digital Engineering Notebook Submissions / In Person Team Interviews: Team interviews will be conducted in-person at the event. Engineering notebooks will be submitted digitally for evaluation  via a link found within the "My Account" panel of the team contact on RobotEvents. The notebook submission deadline is Monday, December 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.  

Event Swag

**SWAG UPDATE (DEC 3)**

Due to a timing issue with the vendor and the holidays, we will need to close our Swag Store one week early on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6. This is truly our *FINAL CALL*.

Please ensure to pass this information out to your students and families to make sure they get their Sugar Rush T-Shirt, Sweatshirt, and Bucket Hats! 

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Event Swag is now available for pre-order to be picked up at event registration!

What are we selling?!?

• T-Shirts
• Sweatshirts
• *NEW* Candy Grams
• *NEW*  Embroidered Bucket Hats

See more details about each item on our swag link below. Please note that the store will close on December 13, 2025.

Swag Link: https://sugar-rush-2026.square.site/

We will have a VERY limited supply of swag available on-site, so please purchase in advance if possible!

Signature Event Early Bird Policy

From the RECF Signature Event Knowledgebase:

1. All Signature Events will have a specific Early Bird Registration that is independent of all local/regional Early Bird systems.

2. Each team starts the season with three (3) opportunities to register during the Signature Event Early-Bird period.

3. A Signature Event Early-Bird opportunity is not taken away if a team registers for a tournament hosted by their school or organization (where the team’s coach is the Event Partner).

4. If a team registers during the Standard Registration period, a token is not taken away.

5. The official Signature Event Early Bird policy can be found in the RECF Library.

6. To find out how many Signature Event Early Bird tokens your team(s) have remaining, select the "My Teams" option in RobotEvents.

Photo Album

Check out the Photo Album from Sugar Rush 2026. Videos to also be posted!

Check out the Photo Album from Sugar Rush 2025.

Additional Albums can be found here.