You're Invited | Minnesota Idea Open IV: Forever Saint Paul Challenge

The Minnesota Idea Open's Forever Saint Paul Challenge kicks off today, asking its biggest question to date: What would you do with $1 million to make Saint Paul great? Learn more about the Challenge below, and check out an invitation to attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the "Largest Picture Made of Lite-Brite" this weekend. Maybe a few light bulbs will go off in your head so you can figure out your own $1 MILLION idea!

What Would You Do With $1 Million to Make Saint Paul Great? Somebody pinch us. The Minnesota Idea Open is dreaming big for its most epic Challenge to date. We're so proud to announce The Saint Paul Foundation's Forever Saint Paul Challenge. What's so big about it? The winning idea will receive $1 million to become a reality. That's 10,000 Benjamins, folks. So get ready to answer the question: What you would do with $1 million to make Saint Paul great? Why Saint Paul? Because place matters. When people love where they live, they invest time, energy and ideas to make it a great place. And we know that Minnesotans have crazy love for our capital city. What's not to love? Saint Paul is home to our professional hockey team, regional theaters, jazz festivals, farmers' markets, a winter carnival, the Hmong soccer tournament, Cinco de Mayo festivals and so much more. (There's also an official study by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation that confirms our epic pride in our capital city). Whether you've lived, worked or played in Saint Paul for three months or three generations, we want to hear your best and brightest ideas. In the coming weeks, you'll learn more about the Forever Saint Paul Challenge, our amazing capital city and some fun and special events we'll be bringing to neighborhoods all across town. Stay in the know at MNIdeaOpen.org/foreversaintpaul. So join us, and our friends at The Saint Paul Foundation (who know a thing or two about Saint Paul), as we work together to think boldly about the future of our state's capital. We'll kick things off on February 16 at MNIdeaOpen.org/foreversaintpaul.   Help Us Bring a World Record to Saint Paul To launch an epic Challenge, you need a fun-sized event. Join us as we attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the "Largest Picture Made of Lite-Brite" on February 16 at the Union Depot, 214 East Fourth Street, Saint Paul. This giant art installation will be 12 feet tall by 24 feet long and filled with more than 520,000 Lite-Brite pegs. We'll warm-up the party starting at 3:00 p.m. with live music, food and super-sized games. You'll also be able to submit your million-dollar idea. The official lighting ceremony starts at 7:00 p.m. with brief remarks from Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, Carleen Rhodes of The Saint Paul Foundation and special guests, followed by illumination of the Lite-Brite. We'll even have a Guinness World Record judge on hand to confirm our entry into the record books! The event is free and open to the public. Come before the lighting ceremony, and you might be able to help us make history by placing the final record-breaking pegs into the giant Lite-Brite! Though not required, we'll like you even better if you help us out and RSVP here. Stay Connected The Idea Open is dreaming big things for Saint Paul on Twitter and Facebook. Game On. Minnesota Idea Open  Minnesota Idea Open is a venture of Minnesota Community Foundation