Match It For Pratchett

A Very Musical Death

If you are anywhere near Guilford this week, get yourself along to Mort, The Musical. Full details can be found at the composer's website including a couple of songs. The production has already had great reviews.

Knit for Pratchett

A great awareness raising activity from a group of knitters*. They have created the Pratchgan, a large knitted blanket made up of individual squares. Full story and photos: The Pratchgan 2008 - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!

Potent Voyager

Countdown Initiated

• 10
• 9
• 7a
• 7
• 6
• 5
• 4
• 3
• 2
• 1
• Lift off
• Potent Voyager has cleared the tower

Pratchett fans plan to place a satellite in orbit on behalf of the Alzheimer's Research Trust (ART) in an attempt to win the N-Prize. If successful the winnings will go to the ART.

The N-Prize is a low cost take on the Ansari X-Prize. The rules are simple:

The N-Prize is a cash prize of £9, 999.99 (nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine pounds and ninety-nine pence, sterling), which will be awarded to the first person or group to put into orbit, around the Earth, a satellite with a mass of between 9.99 and 19.99 grams, and to prove that it has completed at least 9 orbits. The cost of the launch (but not ground facilities) must fall within a budget of £999.99. Imaginative use of string and chewing gum is encouraged. Entrants are responsible for everything, organisers are responsible for nothing.

The team is called Potent Voyager and according to their website:

We have a concept for a kind of Rockoon that we think has a good chance of succeeding at the N-Prize tho some details need refining. The core team needs to thoroughly check out some more safety, legal and funding issues before we involve others but we may be looking for volunteers from the Discworld fandom community to help us with our goal over the coming months and years (the deadline for the prize is 19:19:09 (GMT) on the 19th September 2011).

The whole concept of the N-Prize is fantastic but for a group of fans to be doing it for Alzheimer's research is absolutely brilliant. They can rely on Match It For Pratchett's support in this endeavor.

Thanks to From Rim To Hub for the info.

MatchItForPrachett.org : $8,921.30

Through this website in Paypal donations, t-shirt sales and advertising, Discworld fans around the world have raised $8,921.30

This does not include any donation made directly to the Alzheimer's Research Trust in the UK or to other bodies around the world. You can still donate to the ART by using the Paypal button the right or via the ART's own donation page

A big thank you to everyone who donated, brought t-shirts, sent me information and spread the word via blogs and email. A very big thank you to Fran who helped to hold the fort and a massive thank you to Pat who came up with the idea and started the ball rolling.

Money In
Palpal Donations: $6,464.10
T-Shirt Sales: $2,436.91
Google Adsense: $20.29

Money Out
To ART via Paypal (25/03/08): $6,464.10
To ART via Cheque (02/07/08): $2,231.29
To ART via Cheque (01/08/08): $225.91

T-Shirts: Final Reckoning

I've just put the final cheque for $225.91 to the Alzheimer's Research Trust in an envelope and will be dropping it in the post later today.

In total we sold 201 T-Shirts earning $10 per shirt. On top of that we received a $321.41 volume bonus in May and a $105.50 volume bonus in June. Bringing the amount raised to $2436.91. In July Match It For Pratchett sent a cheque to the ART for $2231.29 leaving a balance of $205.62.

In addition to the $205.62 from T-shirts sales, the final cheque included $20.29 revenue from Google Adsense. All money earned via this website has now been payed to the Alzheimer's Research Trust.