Live Blog for Give To Mars Day Potato Challenge 2016

This blog post was updated throughout the day during our 2nd annual Give To Mars Day Potato Challenge on November 17, 2016. It shows the challenges our crew faced, winners of prizes and the videos submitted for the video contest.

If you would like to donate and receive rewards they are available until November 30, 2016. We will have a drawing after November 30 for the grand prize winners. The grand prizes are a TMG logo jacket and an author autographed copy of The Martian. All donors are entered to into this contest.

Challenges included:

Task 1
You have established a comm link w/Earth through Pathfinder spacecraft. Post photo with a special message!
Task 2
You survived a Martian sandstorm…barely…show us what you look like after the fact!
Task 3
Video Challenge: Win an autographed copy of The Martian by author Andy Weir.

Best video entered by 10pmCST Nov. 17 wins

Video Contest Topic Video a scene from The Martian book or movie, bonus points if it’s potato related.

Videos will be judged on creativity not high quality production. Single shot, short, iPhone videos will be expected and creativity will be key. These videos should be no longer than 2 minutes.

Topics ideas – but there are a ton in the book/movie:

Watney wakes from a sandstorm.
Watney fertilizes the Martian soil with his crew mates stuff.
Watney finds a way to communicate with Earth.

Example Video

My @TheMarsGen #potatochallenge video contest entry. Donate now to get me ketchup: https://t.co/INRBXVFXe1 #GTMD16 pic.twitter.com/trvZSb6J2f

— Lisa Stojanovski (@LisaStoj) November 18, 2016

Task 4

Share a photo of your rover and tell us how it serves you?

Task 5

#WaterChallenge Watney engineering challenge, build a rocket with materials you find around you. Share a photo!

Task 6

Watney woke up freezing in his habitat – simulate a freezing moment like #icebucketchallenge share video or photo.

Task 7

Bored? Make something creative with your lunch and share a photo! #GTMD16

Task 8

#ButterChallenge – you earn butter at your next meal, but you glued your hand to your helmet when repairing it. You must survive 1/2 hr with one arm inside your shirt doing the #OneArmedWatney. Share photos/video for Butter!

Task 9

You got into your crew’s music, now you must listen to disco music until we raise $9100 ($200 needed) share a video and make sure to include a donation like with your tweets to turn the disco off! https://www.givemn.org/organization/themarsgeneration

https://twitter.com/AstronautAbby/status/799397249205739521

Task 10

#SourCreamChallenge: We Lost comm link w/Earth. And we need to get reestablish comm with NASA. Make messages for support (donations) out of whatever objects you want for overhead satellite to pick up. Tweet photos/videos and include this link please: https://www.givemn.org/organization/themarsgeneration

Task 11

#ReSupplyMission Support your crew-mates by retweeting your top 5 favorite #PotatoChallenge tweets and get dessert! #GTMD16

Prize Winners:

Ruth E: Patch
Perry: “Love to Mars” Print
Andrew R: Patch
Michael J: “Love to Mars” Print
Ben C: Patch
Miriam B: Mars Rader Space book
Kristi K: Patch
Benjamin S: TMG T-shirt
Mark W: Patch
Luke B: TMG Stickers
Abi: Patch
Megan R: Patch
Susanne B: Book

Video Contest Winner(s):

Grand prize: Miriam Borns – Winner of the author autographed copy of The Martian.

Participation Prizes: All video entries were amazing and we are awarding the other entries a limited Soyuz Adventure collectors patch.

Grand Prize Drawing Winners:

Potato Challenge Participants and Ground Support

The Martian Book Autographed by Andy Weir: Kuri The Vegan
TMG Logo Jacket: Sarah H.

Potato Challenge Donations – Prize Selected after November 30, 2016

The Martian Book Autographed by Andy Weir: David D.
TMG Logo Jacket: Thomas K.

Individual Potato Challenge Fundraisers – Prize Selected after November 30, 2016

The Martian Book Autographed by Andy Weir: Darryl C.
TMG Logo Jacket: Benjamin S.