BAY MINETTE, Ala. — The Technology Student Association of Bay Minette Middle School is raising funds in hopes of covering travel expenses for a trip to a national leadership conference later this month.

According to information provided by the group, approximately 40 students are set to attend the National TSA Leadership Conference in Grapevine, Texas June 21-25, for a competition that will pit them against peers from across the nation.

Members of the Bay Minette association earned 20 medals and first place for Level 1 during the district competition, according to a fundraising letter. They went on to win 21 awards, first place in the middle-level division and nine of the 28 invitations to the state conference during the Alabama Council for Technology in Education Regional.

According to association adviser Bill Allen, the group has high hopes for the conference, and a little polishing is left to do.

“From here out, we now need to complete projects and put the final touches on speeches, publishing and printing,” he said in an email. “Our job is to be prepared and ready to load the bus, representing the community of Bay Minette and Baldwin County School System.”

Allen explained that TSA members raised $9,500 — approximately $5,500 in fundraising efforts and $4,500 in community donations, to fund the upcoming trip. More than $1,000 of those funds came from admission and concessions at the Bay Minette City Pool during a special opening on May 25, Allen explained in an email.

As for the group’s next benefit, members will sell barbecue plates at the First Presbyterian Church of Bay Minette today, after a week of washing buses for donations.

“We are still hoping we receive a few more donations from our letter-writing campaign and from company visits,” Allen said.

For more information, email Allen at ballen@bcbe.org or  John Hope at jhope@bcbe.org.