Tag: Misc Events

It’s Junebilation in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Junebilation

For many of us, the arrival of June bring with it the start of summer, and while we may not be able to get out and have the kind of summer fun we’re accustomed to, there are lots of opportunities in-world to get together and enjoy one another’s company.

In recognition of this, Vaneeesa Blaylock and her friends are co-ordinating a series of events every weekend in June. Unfortunately, so much was going on last weekend, I missed getting a notice out then, so hopefully this will help get the word out – and apologies to Vaneeesa for my tardiness.

Twisted Love – Saturday, June 13th, 10:00-13:00 SLT

Location: Good Life Creations Sandbox

A giant frame formed the word LOVE will be raised at the Good Life Creations Sandbox and everyone is invited to drop by and make a twisted prim to add to the mosaic. Those who do can optionally:

  • Add a giver script to hand out a a note card on what love means to them, and how they like to see a greater expression of love in-world.
  • Add more than one prim, providing they are not overly big, so the finished result looks like a mosaic.
  • Experienced builders will be on-hand to help those who may never have previously twisted a prim, so everyone can join the fun.

All avatars are welcome at this event, including child avatars, in the spirit of fun and friendship.

Avatar Pride Parade

Saturday, June 20th, starting at 10:00 SLT

A 16-region, 4-kilometre walk along the historic Route 66. The walk will commence at the west end of West End of the route in Truro, and proceed to the Welcome Area at Dore where there well be a dance party. Keep in mind this is as walk – so no cheating by riding the Bay City Trolley service!

Part of the fun will be taking pride in avatar diversity on the walk, as Vaneeesa notes:

When you live on a grid as old as SL there are so many avatars! The latest Easy-Baked-on-Sushi-Roll-Heads, the ancient System Avatars, the DEMO avatars, and everything in between. There are so many ways to wear an invisiprim wrong. Let’s celebrate all of it.

  • How “good” can you look?
  • How “bad” can you look?
  • How “you” can you look?

Oh heck, why don’t you just rez an alt and you can show off New & Old Avi’s at the same time! (hint: everybody already knows you have an alt #secretToNoOne)

Notes on Slurls:

  • Start point: a temporary lighthouse alongside temple Beth Chayei Olam.
  • End point / Dance: if you can’t make the walk but wish to be part of the party.

More Is Never Enough – The Avatar Diet Day

Saturday, June 27th, starting at 14:00 SLT

Location: Good Life Creations Sandbox

We live is an age of consumerism and an age of growing concern as to what all that consumerism is doing to our planet. But what about our virtual world? How many items do you have in your inventory that you don’t actually use – and is now so old, you wouldn’t ever want to wear / use it again? Or is your inventory simply in need of a general tidy-up?

Vaneeesa and her friends have planned a day of fun to help people sort and tidy their inventories and have fun doing so!

  • Inventory Weigh-In 10:00-noon SLT: A board will be available for people to list the total number of items in their inventory. Once people have “weighed-in” everyone can hang-out together and go through inventory and delete everything that’s No Transfer they no longer use / will never use again. At the end, the avatar shedding the most items will get a special prize!
  • Swap Meet: When sorting through inventory, people may come across Transfer items they no longer need – so why not rez them and let others see if there is something they’d like, and either pass it to them or swap it for something else?
  • Frog Fight and Dance: end the day with the fun of a dance and a frog fight!

Note: further events may be added to this Saturday’s activities.

Lab Gab 27 summary: Relay for Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Linden Lab

The 27th edition of Lab Gab live streamed on Friday, June 5th, and featured members of the Second Life Relay for Life team Stingray9798 Raymaker, Trager Alter, MamaP Beerbaum, and Nikki Mathieson, to mark the 2020 Relay weekend (which you can read about here). They were interviewed by co-hosts for the session, Strawberry Linden and Patch Linden.

The official video of the segment is available via You Tube, and is embedded at the end of this article. The following is a summary of the key topics discussed and responses to questions asked.

About the RFL Team

  • Trager Alter has been directly involved in Relay for Life of SL since 2017 after being introduce to Stingray by MammaP. He’s been directly involved in Relay Refresh – telling the stories of people who have faced and survived cancer.
  • MammaP became involved with Relay for Life of Second Life at a time when her father was suffering from cancer. It gave her the opportunity to do something practical to help raise money for cancer research whilst simultaneously caring doe her father in the physical world.
  • Nikki Mathieson joined SL alongside of MamaP, and became enamoured with the platform, the opportunities it offers, and realised that it offered huge potential for Relay for Life, and became involved in RFL of RL for that reason.
  • Stingray came to SL through the American Cancer Society, having been the manager for RFL’s on-line content. He was asked to look into RFL activities in SL as a result of RFL of SL volunteers working with ACS’s Innovations Team, and everything had reached a point where the Innovation Team were ready to hand it over to the ACS Relay Team, and he was asked to take the lead, so becoming the official liaison between RFL of SL and ACS.
Strawberry Linden (seated left) with (standing) Trager Alter (l), and Stingray9798 Raymaker (r), (seated)Nikki Mathieson (c) MamaP Beerbaum (r)

What is the Relay Weekend?

  • Every year, Relay for Life raises money for the work of the American Cancer Society via a season of events. Many of these are run by individual Relay Teams formed by Second Life residents, and some are “mega events” (such as the Home and Garden Expo, Fantasy Faire, the Sci-Fi Convention, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and Xmas Expo).
  • The Relay Weekend is the culmination of those events held during the core Relay season (February to June), where all the teams, large and small come together alongside the RFL track, each team with its own parcel to promote the work in providing care, support and treatment for sufferers of cancer in all its forms and their families and carers.
  • The event carries the ideal of Relay events in the physical world by having members of each team take turns to walk around an in-world track for the full 24 hours of the event. This is to symbolise two things:
    • When someone is dealing with cancer, they are no doing it alone, there are others who can support them and be with them.
    • The 24-hour aspect is recognition that cancer never sleeps, and the quest for cures to it cannot rest either.
  • The camp sites and themed regions all offer opportunities to socialise, to make friends and to learn more about cancer and how it can affect lives, be treated, etc., and the role of the ACS in all of this.

How does the Weekend Differ from Physical World RFL Events?

  • Abbreviated history of Relay:
    • In May 1985, Dr. Gordon Klatt, a colorectal surgeon from Tacoma, Washington, raised money for ACS by walking around the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound for 24 hours, covering approximately 83 miles around the track.
    • Throughout the night, friends paid $25 to run or walk 30 minutes with him.
    • After this event, Klatt thought about how other people could participate in a similar event in their own community. He recruited a small team of people to host the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer, and from this Relay for Life grew.
  • Relay for Life events now take place in some 30 countries around the world.
  • Events generally comprise:
    • A Survivor Lap, which starts the Relay event.
    • An Opening Lap, in which all the participants take a lap around the track
    • A Luminaria Ceremony, usually with a candlelight vigil
    • A “Fight Back” Ceremony, in which participants pledge to take specific actions against cancer.
  • The SL Relay Weekend comprises the same format and key activities. But differs in execution:
    • It does not require so much central logistical organisation and management.
    • It does however, require far more infrastructure coordination.
    • It is effectively a bigger event, both in terms of virtual vs. physical size (the 2020 track, for example, equates to some 6 miles), and in terms of the numbers of people participating.
    • Teams are able to do more than “just” camp and walk the track: they can directly support fund-raising by organising and running their own mini-events and activities.
    • It is a fully international event.

What is the Luminaria Ceremony?

  • It is the hour of the event (started at 21:00 on the Saturday of the Relay Weekend, roughly half-way through the weekend.
  • At that time, the track is darkened, and everyone in the Relay Regions are asked not to engage in open text or voice chat but to walk the track in silence or stand to one side.
  • During the hour, the names of those to be remembered, as submitted by the Luminaria Dedication Form that has been available for some time before each Relay Weekend, are read out over the event audio channel (which can be best listened through via the T1 Radio pop-up media player).
  • It is a time for people to reflect on how cancer has touched them personally, to recall those they’ve lost to the disease, or someone who is facing it as a part of their life, or someone who has seen it enter remission.
  • Also honoured throughout the weekend are the names hovering above the Luminaria lanterns that line either side of the track, and through which residents can make a donation to RFL of SL (minimum L$50) and add a name / dedication.

How Has the SARS-C0V-2 Pandemic Affected ACS?

  • Like most non-profit organisations world-wide, ACS relays on large-scale, multi-people fund-raising events, with Relay For Life being the largest annual event for ACS, with the primary RFL fund-raising period world-wide being April-May.
  • SARS-CoV-2 has therefore significantly impacted RFL both as the ACS’ main means of raising funds, and the amount of funds overall that are flowing into the organisation on a daily basis.
  • RFL of SL and Second Life users – and their families and friends – are therefore critical to the mission of ACS, by:
    • Engaging in events such as the Relay Weekend and donating money.
    • And / or by visiting RFL of SL page at the RFL website and making a donation.
  • ACS and Relay teams around the world have recognised that RFL of SL is now the spear of fund-raising efforts.
  • Second Life users have rallied to this call, at the time of writing, RFL of SL has raised around US $275,000.
    • Overall, RFL of SL has raised some US $4 million (around L$1 billion) during the years it has been operating.

RFL of SL Events

  • RFL of SL comprises a range of events, most of which take place during the core in-world fund-raising season between February and June each year.
    • This period includes the majority of the mega events (Home and Garden, Fantasy Faire, Sci-Fi Convention and the Relay Weekend.
    • There are also all the team events held across SL.
    • There is also the Xmas Expo and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer in October, which is to be expanded to have its own Renaissance mega event.
  • In terms of fund raising, Fantasy Faire remains the biggest mega event for in Second Life, with Making Strides also a focused and effective fund-raiser.
  • Outside of these, mega and large events tend to evolve and change. There used to be a major RFL of SL clothing / fashion event, for example, and when breedables became very popular in SL, there was a dedicated Breedables Fair.
  • The days of relay has also proved popular among communities wishing to support RFL / ACS. This started as the 5 days of relay in 2019  and had to be expanded to the 10 days of relay in 2020 to accommodate everything.

Where Do All the Donations Go?

  • Kiosks for RFL of SL are set up to allow events and teams see how much they have raised and contributed.
  • When a donation is made, it briefly goes to the kiosk holder account, but then is immediately paid out of that account and into the ACS fund account.
  • RFL of SL merchant vendors work on the same principle of payment in, then immediate transfer of the amount to the ACS fund raising account.
  • Funds are cashed out from the ACS L$ account in s similar manner: they are converted to US dollars and then process credited to ACS, not to any intermediary account.
  • When the funds are received by ACS, there is a certain amount that has to cover expenses (e.g. the running costs associated with having a presence in SL), but all other funds beyond this go directly to supporting ACS in its various missions.
  • Some of the money raised may be directed at a specific programme, as is the case with Making Strides, Fantasy Faire and the Xmas Expo:
    • Money raised by Making Strides goes directly to the ACS breast cancer mission.
    • In 2018 / 2019 funds raised be Fantasy Faire went directly into the Kenyatta National Hospital Hope Hostel in Kenya (see here for an initial report on this project from 2018).
    • This year, the US $75,000 raised by Fantasy Faire is reserved for use in the ACS global mission.
    • Similarly, the funds raised by the Christmas Expo are earmarked for the ACS child cancer programme.
  • Funds not earmarked for specific missions / programmes is referred to as “purple money” and goes towards the ACS cancer research mission in the United States. ACS is believed to be the largest funder of cancer research in the world outside of the US government.
  • Within SL, the funds pay for ACS island and all the resources, facilities and support than can be offered through the island directly to cancer sufferers and cancer care workers in-world, the Cancer Survivors support group, etc.

How Can SL Communities Get Involved and Help?

  • Individuals can attend RFL of SL events and donate through kiosks, make purchases (where available), etc.
  • Out-world donations can be made through the RFL of SL web page.
  • Those wishing to form a Relay Team, run an event, etc., should go the American Cancer Society Island, or contact Stingray and the rest of the team participating in this Lab Gab session.
  • Those wishing to help can join the Relay for Life Volunteers in-world group.

Stand for Justice in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Stand for Justice

No-one of decent mind and standing could have reacted with anything other than horror at the killing of George Floyd, and with a deepening since of upset and outrage at both the degree of oppression demanded by some in positions of authority have called for and the degree of violence exhibited by office of the law, in response to the – and this has to be said – predominantly peaceful demonstrations that have followed in its wake.

What we have seen and continue to see, is a laying bare of social injustice that has persisted for far too long. It has rightly resulted in a global response in condemning all acts of racism, divisiveness, brutality and hatred and those who enact or promote them. A response that will, one can only hope, bring about genuine, beneficial and lasting change for the better for all who currently face such discriminatory treatment as a part of their daily lives.

On June 5th, 2020, Linden Lab added their voice in both condemnation of all such acts, with a statement of support for Black Lives Matter, one that includes the very practical and welcome move of donating US $30,000 equally between the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) and the Southern Poverty Law Centre (SPLC).

Second Life residents can also provide support for bringing about change whilst also assisting in raising funds for Black Lives Matter and associated / related campaigns, by attending the Stand for Justice event, which opened its doors on June 5th, 2020 and will remain open for as long as possible with the support of SL merchants.

Stand for Justice is a fundraising effort dedicated to raising funds for the charities Black Lives Matter, Black Visions Collective, Campaign Zero, the National Police Accountability Project, and a Split Bail Fund benefiting 38+ bail funds across the United States. It is supported by a website where details of the event and the charities and organisations the event is supporting can be found, together with information on the organisers, together with contact details.

Currently, over 100 SL brands and stores have joined the event, and there is room for expansion should more wish to join, with 100% of all sales to be donated equally among the supported charities and organisations.

To ensure transparency, an avatar account specifically for the event has been created – StandforJusticeSL Resident – and is being used to hold all funds raised. A running total of funds raised is being kept, and all donations, when made will be accompanied by a breakdown of funds paid with screenshots and receipts.

Please do take the time and the opportunity to visit Stand for Justice and show support for your fellow citizens of the physical world by making one or two purchases.

Useful Links

 

Celebrating 15 years of 100 Word Stories

Posted on by Inara Pey

Story-teller, commentator, raconteur – R. Dismantled is all of these, and more. A long-time resident of Second Life, R. is a keen patron of the arts in-world, including performance art and dance – so much so that with regards to dance in Second Life, he has in the past been a guest writer in these pages.

R. is also a prolific writer of 100-word stories – or “drabbles” as they’re known. It’s something he got into as a result of several influences, as he explains:

I started writing drabbles after a friend in college wrote a set of them in a 100×100 project. Woody Allen’s play about Abraham Lincoln obsessing over “How long must a man’s legs be? Long enough to reach the ground” inspired me.

Then, a group of writers started the site “100 Words Or Les Nessman” where they challenged themselves to write about a topic, or they had to write about Les Nessman. Featured writers posted on the site, and guest writers joined in the comments section of each post.

– R. discussing the origins of his 100-stories and podcast

On May 31st, 2005, R. started a podcast featuring recordings of his drabbles, promising to write a story a day until life decides otherwise; hence the sub-title of the podcast’s website, The 100 Word Stories Podcast: A 100 word story every day until the day I die. 

Today, 15 years on, R. is still writing and the podcast is still going, offering an originally story a day, together with weekly challenges for others to join in the writing fun. It is, as R. is confident in saying, the longest-running daily podcast of original material in the world.

To celebrate 15 years of continuous writing and recording, R will be appearing at the Terpsicorps Pit Stage today, Sunday May 31st, from 17:00 SLT – so why not hop along and listen? You might get to hear about George the Pirate or Doctor Odd, or you may not – but you will hear stories that can by turns be funny, uplifting, thought-provoking, conscience-pricking  – and entertaining, delivered by a master  raconteur.

SLurl Details

Lab Gab 26 summary: Izzy and the Solution Provider Directory

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Linden Lab

The 26th edition of Lab Gab live streamed on Friday, May 22nd, featuring Izzy Linden, discussing, among other things, the re-launch of the Lab’s Solution Provider directory.

The official video of the segment is available via You Tube, and is embedded at the end of this article. The following is a summary of the key topics discussed and responses to questions asked.

Izzy Linden is a senior member of Linden Lab’s Land Operations team specialising in specializes in Custom Names, RegAPI. most recently, he has been handling the new business requests incoming from businesses and educational institutions due to the COVID pandemic. Along with the rest of the team, he also handles abandoned land tickets and liaises with the Moles concerning everything Linden Department of Public Works (such as provisioning regions for Linden Homes development).

Also, since May 2017, Izzy has run the Lab’s internal course teaching ALL Linden Lab employees (regardless of their pre-existing familiarity with the platform) about Second Life and how to use it – and how the Lab uses it (SL actually forms a core component of the Lab’s working tools, as it is used to host company / department / project meetings etc.).

The initial part of the discussion revolves around Izzy’s recent conversion to an all-mesh avatar, and I refer you to the video for that aspect of the session.

The all-mesh Izzy Linden with Lab Gab host Strawberry Linden

Solution Provider Directory

What is the Solution Provider directory?

  • A one stop shop resource location for people needing to find others in Second Life who can handle the things they need to get done: resign design / landscaping; making / proving buildings and objects; scripting; environment design; etc.
  • A place where any size of specialist providers from individuals with a specific focus (building, scripting, avatar looks creation, etc.), through to complete solution providers.

How can people apply to be a part of it?

  • At the bottom of the Solution provider directory page there is a link to a submission form.
  • Applications are reviewed by Linden Lab for suitability (e.g. the references provided in the form, checking the provider’s standing as a Second Life user, etc.).
  • The list of providers itself will be reviewed as well to ensure those who many have ceased offering a service / services for whatever reason are removed, etc.
  • An open rating system will not be provided, simply to avoid it being positively / negatively gamed.

What Happened to the “old” Solution Provider directory, and how is this different to that “old” directory?

  • It had been around a long time and was on a wiki page and had become stale.
    • (Side note: the original Solution Provider programme actually ran for around 2 years and utilised a web page supported by wiki pages – the directory itself didn’t become wiki-only until LL wound it down in 2012.
  • The goal is now to refresh it, and push it forward “more and more”.)
  • The current wiki page is purely an interim measure to get things started, and to address the needs voiced by incoming businesses / organisations to obtained skilled support.
  • Enhancements to the directory will be made over time and links to it will gradually appear “anywhere someone is liable to be looking”, e.g. the enterprise micro-site, the knowledge base, etc. Even the Marketplace may come to include a link.
  • The current directory has four categories: Full Service Companies; Software Solution Providers; Developer Tools and Specialists – these many be added to / refined / made more granular as a result of incoming submissions.

Business and Educational Use of SL Arising from the Pandemic

  • LL has had a “huge” level of interest from companies / organisations looking to shift to a virtual means of meeting their business or educational or social needs. These have included:
    • Wanting to run virtual meetings with staff.
    • Healthcare organisations wanting to provide psychiatric help to people virtually.
    • Schools not currently using SL to provide lessons.
    • Educational facilities wanting to offer their prom or graduation ceremony.
    • A virtual summer camp (which I’ll be covering shortly, having been in contact with the organisers for the last month).
  • Izzy was shifted to focus directly to trying to provide support / solutions for these organisations.
  • Organisations still wishing to contact LL about the potential of using Second Life should do so through the connect.secondlife.com micro-site.

Miscellaneous Questions

  • How do people join the Moles?
    • Details on the Moles (the Linden Department of Public Works, or LDPW) can be found on the SL wiki.
    • Applications can be made via note card to Derrick and / or Patch Linden.
    • Applicants will have to go through an interview process.
  • Can suggestions be made for future LPDW work?
    • Yes, again via note card to Derrick or Patch.
    • However, not every suggestion will be acted upon; a lot depends on feasibility, current LDPW projects / workload, etc.
  • Why does abandoned land remain so for so long?
    • The Land Team tries to respond to abandon land as quickly as possible, either be setting it for auction or by selling it directly to a user, depending on the particular situation.
    • A lot of factors play into this, such as trying to keep the Mainland as fresh as possible, not harming / being detrimental to surrounding Mainland areas, etc.
    • Additionally, the team pro-actively check areas of the Mainland for abandoned land that has not been made available for auction and make it so whenever they can.
    • Users finding abandoned land that is not set for auction can file a support ticket requesting the Land team investigate – either for a direct sale or for it to go to auction.
    • Land available for auction can be found on the Second Life auctions page.
    • Could there be a automated means of getting abandoned land set for auction? – not easily.
  • Will Cape Ekim be preserved when LL starts to retire the old Linden Homes mini-continents? (See: Of forgotten explorers, dragons and mysteries, May 2013, for more on Cape Ekim.)
    • Any area of the old Linden Homes of value to residents may be considered for preservation.
  • How will the old Linden Home regions be retired?
    • Currently, many of the old Linden Homes regions are still in use by residents who have opted not to move to Bellisseria. Ergo, for the immediate future, there are no plans / options for retiring these regions that can be discussed.
  • Will the updated trees and other flora seen in Bellisseria be added to the inventory Library?
    • Will pass that question up the line.
  • Will prices on land be coming down at all or soon?
    • Mainland and private island prices have been adjusted in the last few years.
    • LL is always looking at land costs and opportunities to make adjustments.
    • When we might seen any further adjustment cannot be indicated at present.
  • What’s happening with the work to beautify areas of the the Mainland?
    • The Moles are constantly working to improve the landscaping, etc., of Mainland.
    • No specifics on areas being selected, etc.
    • There are also a number of resident groups who purchase areas of Mainland specifically to beautify them for people to appreciate.
  • Why have there been no visible environment changes on Mainland with the release of EEP?
    • Because estate-wide changes could have a significant impact on people’s expectations of what they expect to see with environment lighting.

Balticon 54: a real world sci-fi convention using Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Balticon Station, Second Life

As we’re all aware, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused a suspension of many events around the world, with some seeking alternative means of going ahead with their programmes.

In April I reported on MuseWeb, a global organisation offering members a range of professional learning opportunities, using Second Life to support its 2020 conference (see: MuseWeb: utilising Second Life in support of a global conference).

Now, this coming weekend – Memorial Weekend in the United States – the Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS) will be hosting their annual Balticon science fiction convention on-line, and will be using Second Life for a range of social events and activities in support of the convention.

Balticon Station Transfer Station

Running between Friday, May 22nd through Monday, May 25th 2020 inclusive, the convention is free to attendees, although support for it is requested through a Gofundme page, the money from which will go towards the primary work of BSFS – see About the BSFS, below). It will include panels, presentations, and readings hosted as webinars across several platforms, together with guest speaker talks, filk singing (folk singing with a science fiction or fantasy theme), film presentations, etc.

The Second Life element of the convention will be centred on Balticon Station, a multi-level environment centred on one of the Lab’s turnkey region solutions for business use – specifically, the “futuristic” island. At the ground level, this provides a landing point and short-form tutorial on some of the Second Life basics – walking, chatting, using voice, and so on.

Balticon Station – tutorial area

From here, visitors are offered a social lounge, a bar, and a portal hall (together with information boards on using in-world media). A ramp alongside the portal hall provides the way to a seabed facility where visitors can again socialise or, if they wish, go scuba diving (a short tutorial on SL swimming and basic inventory management is also provided).

The portal hall offers a series of experience-based walk-through portals. Several of these will deliver people to spaces is the sky over the island, and other are intended to link the region with other sci-fi related destinations within Second Life – although at the time of my visit, these were still awaiting final configuration.

The Balticon Station underwater facilities

The spaces over the region comprise:

  • A speedway platform, where visitors can participate in slug or segway races.
  • A elven forest, with walks and a hall.
  • An art exhibition hall, featuring physical world art (also connected by a ramp with the speedway).
  • A space “transfer station”.

To help promote the use of Second Life, the convention’s website includes a dedicated page on the platform, which includes an outline of how to obtain the SL viewer and create a account, as well as the SLurl to Balticon Station.

Attendance in-world – or via the other on-line services offered by the convention – is open to any science fiction fan (or anyone curious) within Second Life, and as noted, attendance is entirely free of charge this year.

Balticon Station – Elven Forest

Full details on the convention, its special guests, its programme, virtual dealer spaces, etc., can be found on the the convention’s website.

About Balticon Science Fiction Society

BSFS is a 100% volunteer-run organisation that depends upon Balticon as its main source of revenue. This funding supports efforts to develop new writers and foster literacy among Baltimore City’s disadvantaged youth, and helps pay for the maintenance of the BSFS East Baltimore building, which houses a free lending library of more than 12,000 volumes.

The loss of direct fees (registration, etc)., resulting from the cancellation of Balticon would mean:

  • No 2021 funding to support awards for writers (BSFS normally seed awards for new writers to the tune of US $7,000 a year).
  • No funding for the BSFS Books for Kids programme, which is traditionally supported by fund raised through the convention’s annual auction. Books for Kids provides as much as $1,800 in grants to Baltimore City neighbourhood organisations and schools to help support youth literacy.
  • Funds for the upkeep of the Society’s East Baltimore building.

To help overcome this, BSFS hopes that attendees of the 2020 Virtual Convention, both on-line and in-world in Second Life will consider donations to their GoFundMe campaign. so if you do attend the convention, please consider supporting the work of BSFS through GoFundMe.

Related Links