Tag: Misc Events

A Spoonful of Sugar 2023 in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Spoonful of Sugar 2023

Running from September 2nd through to September 17th (inclusive) in Second Life is the 2023 edition of the Spoonful of Sugar festival in support of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the globe-spanning non-profit organisation providing medical humanitarian and emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and similar, and who might otherwise be excluded from receiving much-needed healthcare and relief.

Also known as Doctors Without Borders, MSF was originally founded in Paris, France in 1971 and is entirely self-governing; the support and treatment it provides is given on the basis of need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. It is often one of the first organisations to have feet on the ground wherever and whenever humanitarian aid and medical support is desperately needed, and since its founding, MSF has grown to a movement of 24 associations, bound together as MSF International, now based within Switzerland. Thousands of health professionals, logistical and administrative staff – most of whom are hired locally in respect of the care they give around the world – work on programmes in some 70 countries worldwide to provide medical and social care & support for a staggering 10+ million people annually.

Spoonful of Sugar 2023

The 2023 Spoonful of Sugar event marks the ninth year the event has sought to support the work of MSF. In that time, more than US $100,000 has been raised, once again demonstrating the generosity of Second Life users in supporting those most in need around the world. The money raised through SOS events goes directly to MSF for disbursement, although since 2022, the SOS organisers has sought to work with MSF to ensure the funds raised are directed more towards providing relief in countries and regions which have been impacted by natural / environmental disasters, as the SOS website notes.

We don’t “earmark” our fundraising for a specific aspect of what they do. We think they know best where the money is most needed. We do, however, want to change our focus for the event a bit. We’re going to explore more about MSF/Doctors Without Borders work with environmental issues, natural disasters and the pressing impact of climate change, focusing on their work within these specific areas and the people they help while doing this work. So join us at places on our planet that are both astoundingly beautiful and wealthy and yet devastatingly vulnerable and poor. Let’s understand this connection between environmental imbalance and the illness, safety and resource insecurity, facing so many on our planet,

– From the Spoonful of Sugar website

Hence why the 2023 follows the same theme as 2022 – Tahiti, which both sits as a reflection of the scenes of tropical beauty that names tends to conjure whilst also reminding us that it is often smaller, poorer countries that suffer the most from ecological disasters – flooding, storms, etc., – simply because they often cannot afford the rapid response infrastructure and mechanisms required to meet such disasters.

Also as with 2022, this year’s event presents 10 regions available for exploration, entertainment and shopping. Details of the daily entertainment can be found on the SOS website’s schedule page, whilst the region list page provides a list of participating merchants and brands across the 7 shopping regions, complete with SLurl to teleport directly to each region from that page. In addition to the entertainment and shopping, the event includes the Get Crabby Hunt with an impressive selection of prizes (participation requires joining the Get Crabby Hunt Group for L$299 – all proceeds to SOS / MSF), together with the SOS Raffle, offering the chance to win gift cards valued up to L$10,000 and / or tropical cabins.

Spoonful of Sugar 2023

The landing point for the event follows the familiar SOS format of providing extensive information on MSF’s work, as well as introducing people to the teleport system which can be used for easier region hopping. However, for those who wish to explore the regions on foot, boardwalks and sandy causeways can be followed through the event regions to help avoid getting feet too wet!

As always, Spoonful of Sugar is an event well worth visiting. Even if you don’t find anything to buy in the shopping regions, the donation kiosks will welcome your Linden dollars, and you can be absolutely sure that your money is going to a very worthy cause.

SLurl and Links

Second Life Hair Fair 2023

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Hair Fair

The 2023 Second Life Hair Fair is currently open, and runs through until Sunday, July 2nd, 2023. As with previous years, is being run to raise money for Wigs for Kids, with every purchase seeing a percentage donated to the cause, with the Bandana booths and Donation kiosks donating 100% of all proceeds received.

As with recent years, the event takes place across six regions, appropriately called Foils, Brunette, Streaks,  Noirette, Redhead and Blonde, laid out in a block of six, with Foils, Brunette and Streaks to the north and Noirette, Redhead and Blonde to the south, separated by an intervening stream. The landing zones for the regions form decks spaced along both banks of the stream, both helping to lighten the load of arriving avatars and providing vantage points from which those (such as myself) who prefer to do so, can cam-shop without necessarily having to wander the stores.

As is usual for Hair Fair, the shopping regions are wisely lightly decorated in order to minimise viewer-side lag that might otherwise be created by having a significant amount of extra object and texture rendering. For those who enjoy perusing stores directly, the broad boardwalks ensure there is little chance of bumping into others, whilst those who might tire of walking can use one of the rezzers located along both boardwalks to rez a sittable “bus” and ride the length of the walkways.

The list of participating merchants can be found on the Hair Fair website, while for those who may not find something they wish to purchase, donation kiosks are available to help support Wigs for Kids, or there are the Bandana Booths, one located in Foils and the other in Blonde. within them, visitors can purchase a bandana or a Hair Fair Hare companion (all proceeds on both to Hair Fair), and learn about the history of the Hair Fair Bandana Day & booths.

Hair Fair 2023

About Wigs for Kids

For more than forty years Wigs for Kids has been providing hair replacement systems and support for children who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, Alopecia, Trichotillomania, burns and other medical issues at no cost to children or their families. The effects of hair loss go deeper than just a change in a child’s outward appearance. Hair loss can erode a child’s self-confidence and limit them from experiencing life the way children should. With an injured self-image, a child’s attitude toward treatment and their physical response to it can be negatively affected also.

Wigs for Kids helps children suffering with hair loss look themselves and live their lives. Families are never charged for the hair replacements provided for their children; Wigs for Kids rely completely on both the donation of hair and / or money to help meet their goals.

Read more about Wigs for Kids mission, and discover how hair can be donated.

URLs and SURLs

ALS Awareness Week 2023 in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Harvey Memorial Ensemble ALS Awareness Week 2023

The 2023 Harvey Memorial Ensemble ALS Awareness Week has opened its doors, and runs through until Sunday, March 5th, inclusive.  Organised by members of Supporto Italiano, the event is dedicated to the memory of ALS victim and Second Life resident Harvey22 Albatros, and focuses on music, fun and raising funds for AISLA, the Associazone Italiana Sclerosi Laterale Amiotrofica for research into, and treatment of, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Sometimes also referred to as motor neurone disease (MND) or by the synonyms Lou Gehrig’s disease and Charcot disease, ALS is a specific disorder that involves the death of neurons that control voluntary muscles. For about 90-95% of all diagnosed cases, the precise cause of the disease is unknown; for the remaining 5-10% of diagnosed cases, it is inherited from the sufferer’s parents. There is no known cure, and symptoms generally first become apparent around the age of 60 (or 50 in inherited cases). The average survival from onset to death is three to four years. In Europe and the United States, the disease affects about 2 people per 100,000 per year.

Harvey Memorial Ensemble ALS Awareness Week 2023

Whilst visiting, people are encouraged to make donations to AISLA in any one of a number of ways:

  • By clicking the donations kiosks in front of the event stage.
  • By clicking on the AISLA information boards to go directly to AISLA’s donations web page, where credit / debit cards or a PayPal accounts can be used to make a direct donation.
  • By purchasing a Paola Mills tee-shirt design from the vendors on the west side of the arena, between the 2D and 3D art displays.
  • By purchasing one of the special Harvey Memorial Rabbit paintings by Terrygold (L$200 each) – these can be found on the west side of the events schedule board.
  • By entering the Ensemble Week prize draw to win a MotoDesign Chopper motorcycle  – the draw is a limited entry event (90 numbers), and located on the east side of the events schedule board – thewinning draw will be made in Sunday, February 27th, 2022.
  • By participating in the Art Auction.

100% of L$ donations and payments, with all winning bid payments from the Silent Art Auction, will be forwarded to AISLA a the conclusion of the event.

Harvey Memorial Ensemble ALS Awareness Week 2023

The Art Auction this year features works by the following artists (2D) – Celestial Demon, Dadi88, Kika Yongho, Karma Daxeline  (karma.weymann), LikaCameo, Maddy (Magda Schmidtzau), Maloe Vansant, and Once Again (manoji.yachvili) and Terrygold; (3D) Dreams (barry Richez); Ciottolina Xue, Jipe Loon; Livio Korobase, Moki Yuitza and Moya Patrick (Moya Janus).

The 2D artists have donated multiple works as single auction sets, with the 3D artists donated a mix of individual pieces and small collections. To participate, right-click on the auction boards and then entering the amount you wish to bid. Winning bids will be announced at the end of the event. A raffle with gift cards valued at L$2,500 and L$5,000 is also running across the event.

Harvey Memorial Ensemble ALS Awareness Week 2023

The Harvey Memorial Ensemble ALS Awareness Week in Second Life is always an engaging and fun festival, with even more added to the mix this year yo make hopping along and participating even more worthwhile – so why not take the time during the week to do so?

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A Spoonful of Sugar 2022 in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Currently underway in Second Life through until Sunday, September 18th, 2022 is the annual Spoonful of Sugar festival in support of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)).

Also known as Doctors Without Borders, MSF was founded in Paris, France in 1971 as a non-profit, self-governed medical humanitarian organisation delivering emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and who might otherwise be excluded from healthcare around the globe. Support and treatment is given on the basis of need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

Since its founding, MSF has grown to a movement of 24 associations, bound together as Switzerland- based MSF International. Thousands of health professionals, logistical and administrative staff – most of whom are hired locally – work on programmes in some 70 countries worldwide to provide medical and social care and support for a staggering 10+ million people annually.

Spoonful of Sugar 2022
How donations to SOS Help Every 3 seconds, someone in the world dies of malaria, many of them children. A donation to SOS of just L$100 gives one child a potentially live-saving treatment against the disease. 

In addition, MSF is often one of the first organisations to have feet on the ground following a disaster, and is also to be found carrying out vital work in work-torn countries such as Yemen, where over 91,000 people have been killed and many more wounded, injured and / or displaced in a 6-year-old war than gains little world-wide attention.

The 2022 Spoonful of Sugar event opened on September 3rd, 2022 with this year marking the 8th time the event has been held in Second Life. In that time the event has raised a total of US $100,000 for MSF – once again demonstrating the generosity of Second Life users. In all, ten regions are available for exploration, entertainment and – of course – shopping. The theme for this year’s event is Tahiti, and if that conjures images of tropical beaches, island paradises, palm trees, tiki huts and outrigger boats – you’d be right; the regions offer all this and more.

Spoonful of Sugar 2022

However, the theme and setting isn’t about getting away from it all. MSF’s brief is a broad one, and many regions in the tropics and along coasts are facing greatly increased environmental risk and exposure to increasingly severe natural disasters,  with MSF often on the front line dealing with the aftermath. As such, the SOS theme for 2022 is intended to encourage us to think about the challenges MSF helps those most at risk to face – and recover from, as the event  website notes:

We don’t “earmark” our fundraising for a specific aspect of what they do. We think they know best where the money is most needed. We do, however, want to change our focus for the event a bit. We’re going to explore more about MSF/Doctors Without Borders work with environmental issues, natural disasters and the pressing impact of climate change, focusing on their work within these specific areas and the people they help while doing this work. So join us at places on our planet that are both astoundingly beautiful and wealthy and yet devastatingly vulnerable and poor. Let’s understand this connection between environmental imbalance and the illness, safety and resource insecurity, facing so many on our planet,

– From the Spoonful of Sugar website

As well as the usual full range of music and entertainment available daily at the event, 2022 brings visitors the Get Crabby Hunt. Prizes can be found on the Hunt webpage, and participation requires joining the Get Crabby Hunt group  (L$500 – all proceeds to SOS / MSF)  Here I feel I must offer a suggestion to the organisers: it would be handy if the in-world banners / poster advertising the Hunt a) specified which group needs to be joined rather than a vague “group membership required”, and b) when clicked are scripted to present interested parties with the option of joining the hunt group.

The landing point for the event follows the familiar SOS format of providing extensive information on MSF’s work, with the focus this year being on the organisation’s response to environmental issues and natural disasters. Getting around from here is best achieved via the teleport boards – these are easy to find within each of the regions -, although boardwalks are available within the shopping regions and the entertainment / activities region so people can avoid getting wet feet when exploring these!

Spoonful of Sugar 2022

As always, Spoonful of Sugar is an event well worth visiting. Even if you don’t find anything to buy in the shopping regions, the donation kiosks will welcome your Linden dollars, and you can be absolutely sure that your money is going to a very worthy cause.

SLurl and Links

Songs for Ukraine in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Songs for Ukraine

Songs for Ukraine is a series of concerts being organised by Jenaia Morane in support of the people of Ukraine as they face the on-going aggression from the Russian government. The idea is to encourage Second Life users to help support Ukrainians through a peaceful venue featuring live music and where they can learn about ways and means to make direct donations to recognised international organisations on the web that are engaged in providing humanitarian support and assistance to Ukraine.

The concerts are being held every Saturday within a venue that recreates a section of an underground (subway) station  – such as the Kyiv Metro – where many Ukrainian people have to live and shelter from Russian bombs, shells and missiles.

The space is small and a little crowded but full of hope. It’s designed to give people a taste of what the Ukrainians are experiencing, including the incredible joy, hope, and courage generated by their music.

– Jenaia Morane

The next concert is the series will take place on Saturday, April 16th, commencing at noon SLT and will run through until 15:00 SLT.  The musicians participating are:

  • Denny Mac (noon to 13:00).
  • Max Kleene (13:00 to 14:00).
  • Raspbury Rearwin (14:00 to 15:00).

Joining the local group will provide information on future concerts.

Songs for Ukraine – music stage (dancing also available)

Those wishing to provide practical assistance to the people of Ukraine are encouraged to do so via the following resources:

  • The Ukrainian Red Cross – The Red Cross is often on the front lines of war serving to help those affected by armed conflict. The Ukrainian Red Cross is currently assisting people inside the country by aiding evacuations and providing shelter, food and basic necessities.
  • World Central Kitchen – established in 2010 WCK),deploys chefs directly to disaster areas to provide hot meals to those in need. WCK is currently working in Ukraine and along its borders in neighbouring countries.
  • GlobalGiving Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund – GlobalGiving is raising funds to support locally-led organisations throughout Ukraine. Any donations to the fund will provide essentials for refugees, from health and psychological support to education and economic assistance.
  • Vostok SOS – a Ukraine-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to assisting areas of conflict within Ukraine. The Vostok SOS is currently accepting donations to help aid local people, evacuate the vulnerable and provide trauma support after shelling. Credit card payments are also accepted through Libereco, a Vostok SOS partner.
  • Voices of Children (VOC) – created in 2015, VOC has been providing psychological support to children affected by war in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine through art therapy, video storytelling, mobile psychologists and more – all of which is now being provided to children across the country.
  • Kyiv School of Economics – has created an initiative to provide equipment (protective wear such as kevlar vests and protective helmets) to relief and emergency organisations in the front lines (e.g. State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Paramedic Association and the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Force).
  • Humanity & Inclusion (H&() – an international non-governmental organisation supporting people with disabilities in areas of conflict, poverty and disaster. H&I workers have arrived in Ukraine to assess how it can help distribute medical equipment, provide post-operative care for the injured and provide mental health support. Donations will go toward supplying emergency kits and rehabilitation and mental health support sessions.

Additional resources and means to support the people of Ukraine can be obtained via a note card provided at the event venue – look for the easels with the image of Paddington Bear on them both at the landing point and in the subway venue.

Songs for Ukraine – the above-ground landing point and dance area

So, why not hop along to Songs for Ukraine and enjoy the music – and don’t forget to visit the various resources to offer practical support for Ukraine.

SLurl Details

ALS Awareness Week 2022 in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Harvey Memorial Ensemble ALS Awareness Week 2022

The 2022 Harvey Memorial Ensemble ALS Awareness Week opens its doors on Sunday, February 20th and runs through until Sunday, February 27th, inclusive.  Organised by members of Supporto Italiano, the event is dedicated to the memory of ALS victim and Second Life resident Harvey22 Albatros, and focuses on music, fun and raising funds for AISLA, the Associazone Italiana Sclerosi Laterale Amiotrofica for research into, and treatment of, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Sometimes also referred to as motor neurone disease (MND) or by the synonyms Lou Gehrig’s disease and Charcot disease, ALS is a specific disorder that involves the death of neurons that control voluntary muscles. For about 90-95% of all diagnosed cases, the precise cause of the disease is unknown; for the remaining 5-10% of diagnosed cases, it is inherited from the sufferer’s parents. There is no known cure, and symptoms generally first become apparent around the age of 60 (or 50 in inherited cases). The average survival from onset to death is three to four years. In Europe and the United States, the disease affects about 2 people per 100,000 per year.

Harvey Memorial Ensemble ALS Awareness Week 2022

The Ensemble officially kicks-off at 14:00 SLT on Sunday, February 20th, 2022, with a live set by singer Soso, and will conclude with a final music set commencing 16:00 SLT on Sunday, February 27th. Between these two times, the event will offer daily mixes of live performer and DJ sets, commencing at 07:00 SLT and running through until 18:00 SLT daily, giving plenty of opportunities for Second Life Residents from around the globe to drop in.

Whilst visiting, people are encouraged to make donations to AISLA in any one of a number of ways:

  • By clicking the donations kiosks in front of the event stage.
  • By clicking on the AISLA information boards to go directly to AISLA’s donations web page, where credit / debit cards or a PayPal accounts can be used to make a direct donation.
  • By purchasing a Paola Mills tee-shirt design from the vendors on the west side of the arena, between the 2D and 3D art displays.
  • By purchasing one of the special Harvey Memorial Rabbit paintings by Terrygold (L$200 each) – these can be found on the west side of the events schedule board.
  • By entering the Ensemble Week prize draw to win a MotoDesign Chopper motorcycle  – the draw is a limited entry event (90 numbers), and located on the east side of the events schedule board – thewinning draw will be made in Sunday, February 27th, 2022.
  • By participating in the Art Auction.

100% of L$ donations and payments, with all winning bid payments from the Silent Art Auction, will be forwarded to AISLA a the conclusion of the event.

Harvey Memorial Ensemble ALS Awareness Week 2022: 2D Artists

The Art Auction has been expanded this year to feature  a total of 16 2D and 3D artists. It runs from the opening of the event through until closure on Sunday, February 27th, when the winning bids will be ascertained.

The 2D artists participating are: GlitterPrincess Destiny, Nur Moo, Blip Mumfuzz, LeMelonRouge Onyett, Terrygold, Tarozaemon Rossini, Maddina Tremor, and Karma Weyman. Each has donated three pieces of art that are being auction as unique, single lots (so people are bidding on all three pieces by an artist rather than the individual pieces).

The 3D artists have donated a single piece each, and comprise: Giovanna Cerise, Mistero Hifeng, Livio Korobase, Bryn Oh, Barry Richez, Eupalinos Ugajin, Ciottolina Xue and Moki Yuitza.

Harvey Memorial Ensemble ALS Awareness Week 2022: 3D Artists

The Harvey Memorial Ensemble ALS Awareness Week in Second Life is always an engaging and fun festival, with even more added to the mix this year yo make hopping along and participating even more worthwhile – so why not take the time during the week to do so?

SLurl Details