Currently running through until the first of January 2019 is the Survivors of Suicide (SOS) Second Life group Christmas Fair, aimed at both celebrating the group’s tenth anniversary and to raise money for the group’s work.
For those unfamiliar with their work, Survivors of Suicide is a suicide prevention and peer support group for anyone affected by mental health issues. It comprises mentors and members who support one another, and those who reach out to them in their time of need through one on one chats, and via support meetings at the group’s in-world location and via group chat.
For the Christmas Fair, SOS have set-up a sky platform featuring stalls from creators and merchants, details of whom can be found on the Sponsors web page. There is also a raffle featuring a range of prizes (entry: L$100 per ticket, all proceeds to SOS). There is also a photography contest with the subject of Support – details for entry can be found via the info giver alongside the in-world display board featuring entries. The winner(s) to be decided by voting on entries.
There is also daily entertainment – including visits by Santa! – however, I was unable to find details of performers / performances or times.
While the fair is already underway, the organisers are still taking Gacha item donations and DJs, musical acts and / or spoken word artist – the information card provided on arrival details how those interested can donate / apply.
The organisers additionally note:
If you or a friend or family member are feeling the holiday blues, or you are worried for yourself or someone else, we are here for you. Grab any information that would be helpful at our information booth and if you need to talk to someone, check our Holiday Cuddle Corner, where mentors and members will be standing by to help with those Holiday Blues. If no one is available on site, join our group, there is always someone in chat to talk to.
Support is always welcome – and given. So whether you would like to support SOS in their work or do have a need to talk to someone, do pop along to the SOS Christmas Fair.
With the year drawing to a close, so to do the 2018 fund-raising efforts for the American Cancer Society (ACS) through Relay for Life of Second Life (RFL).
As I write this, the annual Xmas Expo has closed, having raised US $20,495 in just 10 days. Currently, the RFL of SL SciFi Mini Expo is running, having opened its doors on December 14th – more on that below.
One of the criticisms of RFL of SL / ACS is that it is “US centric”, a claim that isn’t entirely accurate. ACS works on a global basis in cancer treatment and care, and for 2018, this has been demonstrated through RFL of SL adopting the Kenyatta National Hospital Hope Hostel, Kenya, part of the ACS’s initiative to expand its Hope Lodge project around the world, providing free accommodation for cancer patients and their caregivers during treatment, who might not otherwise be able to receive treatment away from home due to difficulties in meeting the costs of accommodation, etc.
The Kenyatta National Hospital Hope Hostel project represents the first international expansion of the Hope Lodge project because cancer is a leading cause of death within Kenya, where death rates from the disease among the populace have remained almost unchanged in 30 years. For 2018, the project was adopted by Fantasy Faire, which raised US $48,019 for the project. Further support for KNH will be provided via the proceeds from the Xmas Expo, some / all of which will be put towards funding two Patient Navigators to work with the more than 1500 cancer patients at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi.
You can read more about the KNH Hope Hostel here, and about the ACS Patient Navigation programme here.
Also in 2018, RFL of SL saw a broadening of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer season, while the RFL of SL team also took a hard look at how to better position itself for fund-raising and community engagement in 2019 and beyond. The latter included outlining a new volunteer structure, and planned adjustments to the RFL season within Second Life.
As with all things however, there are inevitable bumps in the road that can result in things having to change somewhat. And such is the case with RFL of SL.
On November 29th, 2018, and very quietly so as not to cause upset, Stingray Raymaker, who has helmed the liaison between AC and RFL of SL since 2008, announced he would be departing ACS in December 2018. In a touching letter on the RFL of SL website, he reviews his nine years as the ACS staff partner with RFL volunteers in Second Life. As he notes in that letter:
This does not mean that the American Cancer Society has chosen to end its presence in Second Life, but it does mean that our new vision for the future will need to be adjusted. While I fully expect that the American Cancer Society will assign a new staff partner to work with our volunteers in Second Life, this kind of transition will be easiest if we all focus on the essential tasks to provide quality cancer patient/survivor/caregiver support and Relay For Life/Making Strides Against Breast Cancer events.
Our ACS support outreach and advocacy team of Nikki Mathieson, Trager Alter, and MamaP Alter will continue to advocate for and support our Season Team and our 24-Hour Team.
– Stingray Raymaker
As a demonstration that RFL work will continue, with the 2019 RFL of SL website already published, and which will open for early registrations on Sunday, January 20th, 2019. In addition:
The ACS support outreach and advocacy team of Nikki Mathieson, Trager Alter, and MamaP Alter will continue to advocate for and support the Season Team and 24-Hour Team.
The Leads for the Season Team and the 24-Hour Team will continue to plan and execute the 2019 Relay for Life.
The Fundraising Tools will be unaffected.
However, the transitional period does mean that the planned ACS / RFL Community Gateway project has been put on hold, as has the 5-Days of Relay.
There will doubtless be further updates on all of this via the SL Relay Info website, and I’ll obviously aim to try to keep abreast of the news and report it here.
In the meantime, I’d like to take a belated opportunity to thank Stingray, someone I’ve only recently come to know, more’s the pity, for all of his work over the last nine years and for his enthusiasm for Second Life and its community; in particular, I’d like to publicly acknowledge his support and encouragement when I was having to face the threat of cancer myself at the start of 2018.
For those wishing to give further end-of-year support for RFL of SL fund-raising work, then as noted above, the SciFi Mini Expo is currently underway, and is being hosted on the ground level at Solaris Space Station, a Second life Role-Play Community. The event will run through until Sunday, December 23rd, 2018.
The setting has a suitably wintry feel to it, but overall, details are a little scant. You can check the event calendar for entertainment at the Expo (ignore the title of the calendar – it does in fact refer to 2018!), but the best way to see what is available is obviously to pay a visit.
There is a fair selection of booths for role-play groups etc, plus a ski / sled run is available, alongside of a zipline ride, while ice skating can be found down on the ground.. The theatre is nicely arranged as the bridge of the original Enterprise NCC-1701 (with additional seating) – although the advertised film showings were at the time of my visit (and not a little amusingly) for The Orville.
Playing with Star Trek starships at the SciFi Mini Expo – which offers a Constitution class cruiser (l) and a Klingon D7 to play with
Alongside the Expo region is a second (reached via the maglev style car circling both regions) is a broader events area. Not specifically Expo themed, it does have RFL kiosks scattered around it, and offers various activities. These include a Warbugs air combat airstrip with ‘plane rezzer and – for those wishing to keep in the sci-fi spirit, a starship rezzer specifically for the Expo, offering a choice of classic Star Trek Constitution class cruiser or snazzy classic Klingon D7. I confess, I found flying these around a lot of fun 🙂 . Should you opt for the latter, please consider a donation to RFL of SL at the nearby kiosk.
Christmas is a time for giving, and on Sunday, December 9th, 2018, Bay City will be hosting their annual Christmas Tree Lighting and fund-raiser.
Activities will commence at 13:00 SLT and run through until 16:00 SLT, taking place at the Bay City fairgrounds. On offer will be:
Live entertainment, music and dancing.
A skating party.
refreshments and fun.
Music will be provided by DJ GoSpeed Racer and live performers Melinda M. Baptiste and Erika Ordinary.
The event will be to raise money for Child’s Play Charity, a 501c3 non-profit organisation offering on-line communities such as the Bay City Alliance an opportunity to help seriously ill children around the globe during their hospital stays with the purchase of games and gaming equipment.
Bay City is a mainland community, developed by Linden Lab™ and home to the Bay City Alliance. The Bay City Alliance was founded in 2008 to promote the Bay City regions of Second Life and provide a venue for Bay City Residents and other interested parties to socialize and network. It is now the largest Bay city group, and home to most Residents of Bay City. To find out more, contact Marianne McCann in-world.
Bay City and the Bay City Alliance and Child’s Play
Bay City and the Bay City Alliance have a long history of fund-raising for Child’s Play, and in 2016, they received special recognition by the charity, being awarded Silver Level sponsor on the Child’s Play’s website.
It’s time to highlight another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home at Holly Kai Park, unless otherwise indicated.
Sunday, December 9th
13:00: Tea-Time with Dickens
Selections from David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Nicholas Nickleby, and Oliver Twist, live in Dickens Square.
Music, poems, and stories with Russell Eponym in Dickens Square.
19:00: The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
Caledonia Skytower returns to Baker Street for the story of The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, which first appeared in The Strand Magazine in January 1892.
The Illustrated Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
One December, Watson arrives at 221B Baker Street to offer Holmes season’s greetings and best wishes, only to find the Great Detective earnestly studying a battered hat. Holmes explains it had been delivered by commissionaire Peterson, who had witnessed a scuffle between some men, all of whom had run off, one of them dropping the hat and a Christmas goose in the process. Happy to let Peterson keep the goose, Holmes had found the hat to be of great interest, and by the time Watson arrives, had formed a quite clear set of deductions concern its owner, which he then proceeds to relate to the good Doctor.
Their conversation is interrupted by the return of Peterson, who presents Holmes with The Blue Carbuncle, a priceless jewel stolen from the hotel suite of the Countess of Morcar a few days previously. Peterson explains he found the jewel inside the goose. Having been quick on the case at the time of the theft, the police had already arrested known felon John Horner, who had previously been seen in the Countess’ suite cleaning the fireplace, and charge him with the theft. But Horner had from the start protested his innocence, and the police had been unable to locate the jewel, leading them to believe it is in the possession of an accomplice.
So could it be that the man who dropped the goose and hat was Horner’s mysterious accomplice, or is something else going on? And why hide the jewel in a goose? For Holmes and Watson, the game is once again, very much afoot!
Music and Dancing live in Dickens Square, with Ktadhn Vesuvino.
19:00: Competing with Time
An original tale read by Ktadhn Vesuvino.
Thursday, December 13th
19:00 The Santa Clause
Shandon Loring one more hitches a ride on a sleigh drawn by a team of rangifer tarandus to bring us the second part of The Santa Clause, a “novelisation” of the Leo Benvenuti / Steve Rudnick screenplay from the 1994 film starring Tim Allen.
Also presented in Kitely (hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Seanchai/144/129/29).
It’s time to highlight another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home at Holly Kai Park, unless otherwise indicated.
In the small Canadian town of Coal Harbour, in a quaint restaurant called The Girl on the Red Swing, everything comes on a waffle–lasagna, fish, you name it. Even waffles!
Eleven-year-old Primrose Squarp loves this homey place.She a young girl who could use a little extra attention; her parents were lost at sea and believed to be dead, and while her Uncle Jack tries his best to care for her, doesn’t have a lot of free time, and the guardian he hires to look out for Primose is so old, child welfare isn’t foremost on her mind. Similarly, the school councillor is far more interested in listing her own concerns and telling her own tales to actually listen. All-in-all Nobody knows what exactly to think of young Primrose, and Primrose doesn’t quite know what to make of her small community, either.
So Kate Bowzer, the owner of The Girl on the Red Swing takes Primrose under her wing. She teaches her how to cook, doesn’t patronise or chastise her, even when she puts her guinea pig too close to the oven and it catches fire. And so Primrose, in her own perceptive way, develops wisdom beyond her years and a belief system we could all do well to adopt – including the idea that hope is not crazy.
Join Faerie Maven-Pralou as she reads Polly Horvath’s 2002 Newbery Honor winner.
Wednesday, December 5th 19:00: Hanukkah Tales
Eight tales by Nobel laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer–one for each night of the Hanukkah celebration–tell of a world in which miracles abound, love triumphs, and faith prevails. With Caledonia Skytower.
Thursday, December 6th
Shandon Loring one more hitches a ride on a sleigh drawn by a team of rangifer tarandus to bring us the first part of The Santa Clause, a “novelisation” of the Leo Benvenuti / Steve Rudnick screenplay from the 1994 film starring Tim Allen.
Also presented in Kitely (hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Seanchai/144/129/29).
The annual RFL Christmas Expo opened its gates on November 30th, 2018, and will run through until December 9th. Located on six regions adjoining the American Cancer Society’s in-world headquarters, this year’s expo offers a wide range of shopping opportunities, entertainments and a raffle with a L$76,000 first prize.
Over 120 merchants from all fields are participating in this year’s event, and you can find direct teleports to all of their stores within the regions in the Expo shopping guide.
The schedule of entertainment provides a day-by-day breakdown of all the live entertainers, DJs and dance performances. which include live performers and DJs, all of which culminates in the Holidays of Hope Gala Ball.
Now in its ninth year, the theme for the Gala Ball is Sounds Of The Season. Sponsored by T1 Radio, the gala will take place in a stunning Christmas music box complete with a dancing ballerina, created by Melodie Jigsaw. Featured performers will be Satin & Erin, Madelyn Majestic and Trader Whiplash. Admittance is free, and participants will be able to purchase Holiday Gift Basket Raffle tickets with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. The ball will take place from 13:00 through 18:00 SLT on Sunday, December 9th, 2018, and holiday formal attire is requested.
This year’s Expo includes a number of special events and activities, including:
The Holiday Shopping Spree Raffle: several Expo merchants graciously donated to the Holiday Shopping Spree Raffle. One lucky winner will walk away with over L$76,000 in gift certificates and prizes! Tickets are L$250 each and the draw will be held on Sunday, December 9th, 2018 at 19:00 SLT at the Holly Jolly Cafe.
Lights of Hope: this year, a number of Second Life’s home builders have decorated the outside of one of their houses in holiday style and brought it to the Expo. Stroll the Holiday Road neighbourhood at the Expo and vote for your favourites by donation to the Relay For Life kiosk in front of each home! 100% of all “votes” goes directly to the American Cancer Society. In addition, some of the builders have offered their homes for sale in a Relay For Life Christmas Expo vendor at the Expo’s Real Estate Office in the neighbourhood.
Gift of Hope Hunt: this is an interactive hunt that can be taken multiple times (each attempt requires a new hunt HUD at L$25), with some L$12,000 available in gift certificates. I
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 