Currently running through until January 6th, 2019 is the Harambee Xmas Charity Market, raising funds for the IKSDP (Italian Kenyan Scout Development Project) Kenyan Schools project, operating in Gwassi region in south-western Kenya, around Lake Victoria.
Harambee is Swahili for “working together”, and can often be used as a cry when people are working in concert together. It has been chosen as the embodiment for the Harambee project Gwass-Kenya in recognition of the way the project is bringing together volunteers from beyond Kenya with local people working on a series of projects to benefit the people of the Gwassi region.
Operated by the IKSDP since 1983, the work is to promote community self-development among the local population through a range of practical self-help projects in an area covering some 200,000 square kilometres and encapsulating around 50,000 people, the majority of whom are Lou, relying on pastoral herding, farming and fishing. Specific work for the project has included water supply and irrigation facilities, medical field trials for disease treatment and medical dispensaries, and on improving education among the young. This latter work has involved the construction and development of a teacher training college and the development of new schools in the region.
The Harambee Xmas Charity Market in Second Life is aimed towards helping to raise money for the schools project, and features a cross-region venue, offering both the tropical warmth typical of Kenya and the snowy delights usually expected of a Christmas market.
Designers and creators participating in the event include: *AAP* Angel’s Art Pose; *ASIA* FASHION; [in] sanity; {.Gross Princess.} & *Tori-Tastic*; 3D Republic; Anastyle; Cassandra Couture & Gallery’s Happy; Celestial Designs; Dimi’s; EdizioniVolando; Droxene; Face Paint; Fantasy China; …:::: GIULIADESIGN made in italy:::…; Gundam Park; Hair Sale; ‘Harambee Gwassi-Kenay Charity shop’; Kastle Rock Couture and Mirage Treasure Co.; Lamu Fashion Exclusive Italian Style; Manna Benoir; Scarpenia; She_Avi; *Sour Pickles*; Style 4 Woman; Sweet Intoxication; TMT Texture Me True; and Verastyle.
Participating artists comprise: CioTToLiNa Xue; Desy Magic; Maddy (magda.schmidtzau) and Solkide Auer.
As well as the creators and artists, the event features hunts and entertainment (as detailed in the calendar below.
So, even if you are feeling a little shopped-out, why not hop over to the Harambee Xmas Charity Market and help out a good cause.
Christmas 2018 Shop and Hop event – open through until January 4th, 2019
The end-of-year Shop and Hop event, organised by Linden Lab, has opened its doors to shoppers for 2018.
Following the success of recent in-world shopping events organised by the Lab, the Christmas 2018 event provides a similar – but expanded – setting that includes some lessons learned from previous events. It features around 100 merchants and creators, a full list of whom can be found in the opening announcement for the event.
The holidays are upon us, and for many that means baking, wrapping, peppermint lattes, and shopping! We’ve gathered 100 Merchants for a very exciting shopping event! … this shop-stravaganza spans 5 full Regions … All 100 Merchants have provided a free gift (and in some cases more than one per stop) and some generous discounts on some of their most popular products.
This 2018 Shop and Hop is located in five regions (two up from previous events). These are Aurelian, Gilded, Golden, Halycon, and Tinseled, all of which will be open through until the end of the event, on January 4th, 2019.
In addition, the five shopping regions are bordered north and south by two further regions apiece. These effectively act as overspill regions for each of the shopping regions. So, for example, if you try to teleport to Aurelian, but it is already loaded down with avatars, you may be redirected to the landing areas of Aurelian North or Aurelian South, where you’ll be greeted by the message:
Sorry, but you are in an overflow region. Feel free to cam around and window shop while you wait for a space to be available.
This is actually a nicer touch than simply finding your teleport fails with a Region is too full message.
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 this week’s events are held at The Dickens Project.
Carol Week, December 17th-21st
Monday, December 17th14:00 and 19:00: Stave One: Marley’s Ghost.
Tuesday, December 18th:,
12:00 noon: Russell Eponym Live – stories, music, & poetry, on stream
13:00 and 19:00: Stave Two: The First of Three Ghosts.
Wednesday, December 19th:
13:45: Raglan Shire Tiny Carollers
14:00: Stave Three: The Second of Three Ghosts.
15:00: DJ DanoBookmite, live in Dickens Square.
19:00: Stave Three: The Second of Three Ghosts.
Thursday, December 20th:
12:40: Raglan Shire Tiny Carollers.
13:00 ans 19:00: Stave Four: The Last of the Spirits.
Friday, December 21st:
13:00: The Conclusion –The Last of the Spirits (selected) & The End of It.
15:45: Raglan Shire Tiny Carollers.
16:00: The Conclusion –The Last of the Spirits (selected) & The End of It.
19:00: A Very Misfit Christmas – Misfit Dance & Performance Art
Saturday, December 22nd:
12:00 Noon: A Very Misfit Christmas – Misfit Dance & Performance Art
14:00-16:00: Fezziwig’s Ball in “Christmas Past” With DJ Dano Bookmite.
Please check with the Seanchai Library’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule.
The featured charity for August and September is Little Kids Rock, transforming lives by restoring, expanding, and innovating music education in schools.
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.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 