You’ll get a little taste of Times Square on Thursday night, right here in downtown Kokomo.

That’s because the Kokomo High School TechnoKats Robotics Team returns with its highly anticipated ball drop counting down the seconds until the 2010.

Shimmering with more than 31,000 LED lights, the TechnoKats work on the ball for about a month each year in preparation for the drop, said Ellen Ewbank, co-captain for the ball drop.

“The biggest thing about this project is there’s a definite deadline,” said Ewbank. “It has to be done on New Year’s Eve because everyone expects it. It’s definitely a challenge for us, and that’s why we start so early.”

It takes the work of the entire team, along with Kokomo Area Career Center and Delphi mentors and team member parents, to painstakingly check and recheck the lights, fix wiring problems and find anything damaged or broken — all before wrapping the ball in Mylar to waterproof it and hoisting it high atop the Harris Bank building in downtown Kokomo.

The red, blue and yellow LED lights are clustered together in 240 triangles and together combine to create 4,096 colors total.

The entire process takes the cooperation of all the members of the TechnoKats, who meet each Tuesday in the shop at Duke Energy for the weeks leading up to Thursday’s drop. The team members teach each other and work together with mentors, such as the electrical mentor Mike Carmain, to make the ball drop a success, said Ewbank.

“We all kind of work together,” said senior Elizabeth Davis. “The older people teach the newer people, and of course Mike teaches all of us.

But all the hard work and the deadline pressure will be worth it, Ewbank said, when that sparkly light rings in the new year in style

“It’s really cool to see your hard work go into something that’s for the city of Kokomo,” she said with a laugh. “It’s awesome. It’s also a relief that its finally over until next year.”

Ewbank and the rest of the TechnoKats will also sell hot chocolate Thursday night for $1 a cup to help raise funds for their upcoming trips.

And the New Year’s Eve fun doesn’t stop there. Z92FIVE’s Mike Turner will once again return as master of ceremonies for a whole night of free family entertainment.

The show kicks off at 10:30 a.m. with music from Kokomo’s Joe Cameron Band, an eclectic mix of soft rock that combines John Mayer, Jason Mraz and Coldly and sprinkles them with a little Matchbox 20.

You may remember Cameron, who was the first unsigned recording artist to perform live on “The Ellen Degeneres Show,”

Playing alongside Cameron will be Kokomo High School graduates Jason Dick on keyboard and vocals, Billy Cox on drums and vocals, and Ben Hanssens on saxophone and guitar.

At midnight, Miss Hoosier Valley Katie Rayl, of Kokomo, Miss Hoosier Heartland Diana True, of McCordsville, and Miss Hoosier Heartland Outstanding Teen Madison Seifert, of Auburn, will lead the crowd in singing Auld Lange Syne.

And the night will cap off with a jaw-dropping fireworks display.

“Greg Owens and Jeff Shuck of Kokomo again will produce the fireworks show,” said Kim LaFollette of Community First Bank and KDA Council and promotions chairwoman. “Greg works at Chrysler and is a member of UAW 685. Jeff just retired from Chrysler.”

LaFollette asked that spectators watch the show east of the Showmobile and stay out of the marked fireworks’ drop zone, which includes the lawn and sidewalk surrounding the Courthouse.

“The stage will be southeast of the Courthouse near the intersection of Sycamore and Main streets,” LaFollette said. “This area will be the best and safest spot to view the fireworks show.”

• Erin Shultz is the Kokomo Tribune Life & Style editor. She may be reached at 765-454-8587 or erin.shultz@kokomotribune.com.



If you go:

• WHAT: New Year’s Eve celebration, including ball drop, live music from the Joe Cameron Band and fireworks

• WHERE: Downtown Kokomo

• WHEN: 10:30 p.m. Thursday

• ADMISSION: Free