By MATT LINDSEY

NORWOOD — Several individuals and organizations have made donation to the Norwood-Norfolk Lego Robotics team Lego Allies, who won the Lego League Animal Allies challenge

The win advanced them to the Lego League North American Open Championship at Legoland in Carlsbad, Calif., on May 19.

At the April 25 meeting, the Board of Education approved a $500 donation from the Norfolk American Legion and a $50 donation from Barstow Motors toward the trip, according to NNCS Superintendent Jamie Cruikshank.

Nine students, two chaperones, and student advisor Kyle Fulk are expected to make the trip.

“We've had a tremendous outpouring of donations,” Cruikshank said.

He said a grant that was intended for summer programming last year came in late, so the funds were never used. NNCS sought permission from the state to allocate those funds to pay for the students trip to California.

Parents are also expected to attend the trip, but that will not be paid for by the school.

The team earned the trip by placing first at Lego League Animal Allies challenge held at Clarkson University in January.

The Lego Allies won the Champion's Award, which is presented to a team who demonstrates the core values and achieve excellence and innovation in both the robot game and project. The team created a project that looks at how people can help horses in need and use them as therapy animals to help humans in areas such as psychotherapy, hippotherapy and through therapeutic riding.