Idaho Potato Commission Celebrates Diamond Anniversary with Bling

The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) celebrated its 75th diamond anniversary this spring by giving away a brilliant one-carat diamond pendant (ARV: $3,500), the stone traditionally associated with 75th anniversaries. A two-month long sweepstakes was held on the IPC's Facebook page, Facebook.com/famousidahopotatoes, and Paula Plunk, a substitute teacher from Bethel Springs, Tenn., was the lucky winner.

The longtime Idaho potato fan was cooking dinner when her husband let her know there was a voicemail message from the IPC notifying her that she won. Plunk was ecstatic to hear the news. "I'm in shock! We eat a lot of Idaho potatoes in this house," she gushed. "I've always been a fan of their potatoes, but I never would have thought I'd win a diamond from the same place where we get our russets!"

"As one of the oldest and longest-running commodity organizations in the country, the IPC wanted to sponsor a promotion that fittingly celebrated its 75th anniversary and also showed our appreciation to our long-time fans and supporters," explained Frank Muir, president and CEO, IPC.

This sweepstakes ran during February and March and was the IPC's most successful Facebook promotion to date, garnering approximately 11,500 entries and helping to rocket the page past 18,000 "Likes."

As part of its year-long celebration, the IPC recently launched the Great Big Idaho Potato Truck, the largest potato on wheels. Weighing in at six tons, (the equivalent of 32,346 medium-sized Idaho potatoes), the Great Big Idaho Potato Truck has embarked on a seven-month cross-country journey to help raise funds and awareness for Meals On Wheels Association of America, a non-profit organization that provides more than one million meals each day to homebound seniors.