Forge the Future: Join our Journey!

Hello! It’s the Patel Family here, and we need YOUR help. As many of you know, robotics is a huge part of our lives, and it's something we care deeply about. Since moving to North Carolina, our family has been profoundly impacted by The Forge Initiative, a local non-profit in Apex, North Carolina. The Forge Initiative is an Open Innovation Tech Space that strives to make technology and innovation accessible to people of all ages. The Forge hosts camps, robotics teams for different ages, and overall creates a community of learners. The Forge is more than just a non-profit or an extracurricular activity for us—it’s a second home. It’s a place where we’ve all learned countless new skills, become mentors, and grown as individuals.

Our whole family has been changed by the Forge, specifically our children Riva and Risha. Riva, our oldest has become a mentor for Risha's robotics team and worked alongside Rushit as they both coached. She has spent hundreds of hours connecting with our community and spreading STEM learning. Our youngest, Risha, has learned so many new skills, including how to be a leader, a good communicator, and how to work on engineering and coding projects collaboratively. We've all grown together, inspired by the community and the opportunities provided by The Forge.

The Forge has been a beacon of positive change, reaching thousands of people across North Carolina. The Forge has brought STEM education to underserved areas, community events, schools, libraries, companies, and more. The Forge is raising the next generation of CEOs, engineers, innovators, and changemakers. However, The Forge was hit hard by the pandemic and has been struggling financially ever since. Now, with their lease ending soon, we're facing a critical challenge.

As a family, we want to do everything in our power to ensure that The Forge continues its positive impact. Our family has set up our fundraiser to support The Forge’s goal. We would all appreciate it if you could donate. Any amount can help us reach our goal and allow us to stay open.  Please consider making a difference and contributing to the next generation of STEM leaders.

More about The Forge Initiative: https://theforgeinitiative.org