“Great Make Day” Success
Sonora, CA – The Great Make Day was “very successful, a lot of fun, and really magical” says Sacramento Hacker Lab Director Gina Lujan. The eleven hour event at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds was for the community to “make, create, and collaborate,” sponsored by the Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority, Hacker Lab Sacramento, the Greater Good and REVAMP.
About 60 people attended the event. Lujan says they ranged in age from 5 to 55. They included many locals, plus and a few that traveled from Turlock, Modesto and Manteca.
There were two competitions held at the event. The Hackathon involved computer programers and the team winners were: 1st place Thabo and Themba Fletcher for a YouTube video pincher, 2nd place James Moore and 3rd place Scott Smith. Prizes included $150 gift card and an iPad Mini. The Great Make day winners were: 1st place Todd Stepson with an autonomous 4WD truck, 2nd place Josh Bennette and 3rd place Alex Scott.
Attendee Richard Call, a Software Engineer at Front Porch, Inc. said the event attendance compared to a Hackathon he attended in San Jose. He said the turnout was really amazing for the small Sonora area. Lujan says other attendees were very excited about having more local events to give them access to the unique tools and the variety of resources at the event.
Lujan says that they plan to do another event in the Spring and expects the Sonora area will participate in an annual “Great Make Day” with other groups around the country.
On August 9, Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority Director Larry Cope will present a study done by Hacker Lab and Director Lujan stating if there is enough demand locally to warrant support for an Innovation Lab like the one in Sacramento. For more infomation view “Innovative Economic Plans.”
