Tag: RFL 2018

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 2018: the full season

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Across Second Life

Some 1.7 million women – and men – were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, the most recent year for which detailed statistics are available. It is currently believed that the figure remains around the 1.6 million mark world-wide, which equates to around 270,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer per year in the United States and around 55,000 in the UK alone.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a signature event by the American Cancer Society to raise awareness of, and funds to counter / treat breast cancer, and it is marked in Second Life very October with the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (MSABC) Across Second Life event.

For 2018, MSABC Across Second Life will be holding an expanded season of events through October, a couple of which I’ve previously blogged about, and on which ACS and the MSABC team issued more information on Friday, September 7th, 2018.

In all five events are planned for the month, offering a broad range of options by which Second Life users can donate money that will expressly go into the work involved in treating and researching breast cancer and its causes. Full details of the events can be found on the MSABC Across Second Life website, and I’ve summarised the key points below.

Photos For A Cure

  • Dates: now through until Sunday, September 30th, 2018.
  • Theme: The Rat Pack
  • Sponsor: SKYY Games

Photographers across Second Life are invited to share their artistic talents by submitting a photo that they feel best reflects the Photos For A Cure theme to the MSABC Across Second Life Flickr group.  A prize pool of L$22,500  is available for the photos judged as best reflecting the theme. For contest rules and details, visit the Photos For A Cure on the Making Strides website.

Out-Shop Breast Cancer

  • Dates: Monday, October 1st through Wednesday October 31st, 2018.
  • SLurl: all across the grid – HUD based.

Get your shopping HUD at the American Cancer Society Island, then visit the variety of stores who have committed to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. The more you buy, the greater the funds raised for MSABC.

Out-Shop Breast Cancer and Parade of Homes

Parade of Homes

  • Dates: Monday, October 1st through Wednesday October 31st, 2018.
  • SLurl: all across the grid – HUD based.

Collect a Parade of Homes HUD from the American Cancer Society Island and use it to hop to the participating designs and discover your dream home for Second Life. This is a perfect opportunity to discover some of the great home designers in Second Life, get your new home, and fight breast cancer – all at the same time.

The parade of homes will conclude with a special live auction for a L$90,000 dream home, donated by Slash Hansome, owner of AXL pro – check the MSABC website for details in October!

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk-A-Thon

  • Date:  Saturday, October 20th, 2018.
  • Registration opens: Saturday, September 15th, 2018 (walkers); Sunday, September 16th, 2018 (sponsors).
  • SLurl: check the MSABC Across SL website.

Get your walking shoes ready and join other walkers at the 2018 Strides Walk track. The Walk-a-Thon will take place between 10:00 to 18:00, with walkers invited to join in throughout for as long as they can. Music will be provided throughout the event, and there will likely be an after-walk party.

Walkers will be provided with tools to track the number of laps they complete around the track, allowing them to collect pledges from their supporters. Awards will be presented for Top fund-raiser, most laps completed, most sponsors (pledges), and Overall Top Walker.

Registrations, once open, will be available through the MSABC Across SL website.

Breast Cancer Gala

The annual gala event will celebrate breast cancer patients, survivors, and pay homage to loved ones that are no longer with us. This is a chance to meet new people,  reconnect with old friends, and share stories with others about your personal connection to breast cancer. This is a formal attire event with special live performances. Donations are encouraged throughout the event.

Meet the Challenge

In 2017, the Making Strides campaign raised over US $10,000 for the American Cancer Society. For 2018, the MSABC team would like to beat that total – so why not be a part of the efforts by taking part in one or more of these events throughout October?

About Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer or MSABC is the largest network of breast cancer awareness events in the United States, uniting more than 300 communities across the country. Every breast cancer walk run during the MSABC’s season is seen as an incredible and inspiring opportunity to honour those who have battled breast cancer, raise awareness on how the risk of breast cancer can be reduced, and to raise money to help the American Cancer Society fight the disease with research, information, services and access to mammograms for women who need them.

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RFL of SL: brainstorming ideas for 2019 and beyond

Posted on by Inara Pey
via slrelayinfo.com

Following on from their blog post concerning the restructuring of volunteer services (see here for more), the RFL of SL team has announced an “open house brainstorm session” on Wednesday, September 5th, 2018.

To be as inclusive as possible on a global basis, the event will comprise 3 core sessions (all times SLT): 07:00-09:00; 12:00-14:00 and 18:00-20:00.

We want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to share their ideas for growth and for how we can make the 2019 Relay season the best it can be.

This will be a ‘revolving door’ concept that allows you the chance to come and go as your schedule permits within [the] three different time-frames.

– from the RFL of SL blog post on the open house sessions

In particular the RFL team are looking for feedback in four core areas of RFL activities within Second Life:

  • Ideas on businesses, groups, and communities not currently engaged in supporting RFL of SL, and how they might be encouraged to do so.
  • For 2019, the Activities Regions will be replaced with a “5 Days of Relay” concept to allow new communities and new partners to host events/activities in the week prior to the main 24-hour event, and the RFL of SL team would like to hear feedback on opportunities to engage with new communities / partners and grow involvement with RFL of SL.
  • Additional ways in which cancer survivors and their caregivers might be more involved in the 24 hour relay weekend activities beyond the opening lap and gift bag.
  • Potentially moving the RFL season to be more effective with fund-raising.
    • The blog post notes this would likely comprise kicking off in January, along with the ACS national registration challenge, then holding the relay weekend in May, which would place it within the time period of ACS “signature” events held worldwide.
    • In particular, the team would like to hear about practical considerations that need to be kept in mind for such a move to be successful.

In addition, the team would to hear ideas on tactical ways that RFL of SL can help present the American Cancer Society as a service-first organisation that is available to cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers in Second Life.

We have met with so many people in the last few weeks and have identified several thoughts that were consistent from one person to the next; but we recognize that there just isn’t enough time to meet individually with everyone. So we’re using this open house concept for the final brainstorming session to give everyone the chance to participate in the creative and strategic direction of Relay For Life of Second Life. I’m excited about this because we get to hear from as many people as possible, and I’m especially looking forward to learning what creative ideas our volunteers and supporters have.

– Stingray Raymaker, Director of the American Cancer Society in Second Life,
on the open house meeting

As noted above, the three sessions will be run on a “drop in” basis, with those wishing to participate free to join or leave any session at any time at their convenience, or to attend more than one session if they wish. The sessions will all be held at the American Cancer Society HQ in-world.

ACS: new SL volunteer structure – Growth, Service, and Outreach

Posted on by Inara Pey

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has a long and distinguished history of fund-raising to help those with cancer, their families and their caregivers not only in the United States but the world over. ACS is perhaps most widely recognised for the Second Life Relay for Life season with its mainstream events: the kick-off weekend, the main weekend, and the mega events such as Fantasy Faire, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, the Science Fiction convention and so on.

This 2018 in-world season for ACS has been one marked by a number of changes, all of represent the first step in a multi-phase plan to shape the future of the American Cancer Society in Second Life and in virtual spaces beyond. For example, for 2018, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (MSABC) is launching a new approach to breast cancer fund-raising in Second Life,with not one, but two month-long events running throughout the month of October: the Parade of Homes, and the Out-Shop Cancer event. In addition, MSABC will also host the “5K” walk, where walkers can collect donation pledges for the amount of laps walked around a pink-ribbon track.

Also, earlier in 2018, the Fantasy Faire team raised over US $50,000 to help with the Kenyatta Hospital Hope Hostel project in Kenya (see: Fantasy Faire 2018: supporting the KNH Hope Hostel). Going forward, ACS plan to allow volunteers and fun-raisers to have more opportunities to directly affect specific global projects, while additional focus will be placed on establishing new partnerships with businesses both in and out of Second Life, helping the ACS volunteers communities grow and increasing outreach efforts to let cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers know that they have a place to turn for support, without having to leave Second Life.

Artist rendering of the Hope Hostel in Kenya, the focus of the 2018 Fantasy Faire fund-raising programme. Credit: Kenyatta National Hospital website

As a part of this planning, ACS is both refocusing it in-world efforts, to both enhance existing activities and events and to offer a new range of opportunities and programmes in world to assistance and support to anyone facing cancer either directly or as a caregiver or family / friends.

In addition, ACS is asking all of those who have supported their work as a volunteer, or who wishes to join the ranks of ACS volunteers to take a moment to find out more about the restructuring and refocusing (see below), and complete the ACS in SL Volunteer Form.

During the next few weeks, we want to offer everyone the opportunity to express interest in being involved with any of the areas identified…or offer suggestions for something that you don’t see reflected in this structure

Stingray Raymaker,  Director of the American Cancer Society in Second Life
on the call for volunteers and supporter to indicate their interest in supporting ACS activities in Second Life

The refocusing is summarised in the images seen at the top of this article, which outlines the key areas of ACS focus – existing and new -, which are also summarised as:

  • Support, Outreach, Advocacy Team: providing overall vision and strategic guidance for the American Cancer Society in Second Life, including developing and executing outreach strategy for recruitment of new volunteers, new partnerships, new relationships, events, etc. Also advocates on behalf of all teams within the ACS volunteer structure.
  • Partnerships: working with volunteers to meet & discuss partnership opportunities for all areas within the ACS in Second Life. Provides strategic consulting and fundraising coaching to volunteers in Second Life.
  • Research: investigating ways to help identify opportunities for all areas within the ACS in Second Life.
  • Mega Events: consulting with the RFL mega events teams, identifying potential events, and fostering growth, when appropriate.
  • Media: establishing and maintain relationships with media partners, providing back and forth communication of needs, assets, and expectations.
  • RFL Season Lead: coordinating tasks associated with the execution of the RFL of SL season, from pre-kickoff until event weekend.
  • RFL Event Lead: coordinating the tasks associated with the execution of the RFL of SL event weekend.
  • ACS Island Design: establishing ACS island as a destination experience that features the services offered by the ACS in Second Life.
  • ACS Island Event: managing the calendar of events for ACS Island; booking performances, recruiting merchants for stores, and promoting ACS island events to the grid.
  • Hope Haven Survivor Group: fulfilling the new vision for Hope Haven Survivor Support, working with ACS team to promote Survivor Support Group to the grid as a place for cancer patients and survivors to receive support from one another.
  • Hope Haven Caregiver Group: fulfilling the new vision for Hope Haven Caregiver group, working with ACS team to promote Caregiver group to the grid as a place for education and information for caregivers. Also produces interactive experiences that educates residents on cancer information and support.
  • Hope Haven Memorial Garden: managing the memorial garden experience on the American Cancer Society island.
  • Community Gateway Story: developing and writing the story that will be used to teach/train new users in Second Life on how to use the platform.
  • Community Gateway Design: coordinating the design tasks in order to build the Community Gateway learning environment, as defined by the story.
  • Community Gateway Host: leading and coordinating the hosting tasks for the Community Gateway, ensuring that new users are welcomed, supported, encouraged, and have a friend along their journey. Also provides recommendations for groups and communities to join, as well as offering ACS volunteer opportunities, when appropriate.
  • MSABC 5K Walk: coordinating the tasks related to the MSABC 5K walk event in Second Life.
  • Parade of Homes: coordinating the tasks related to the annual Parade of Homes breast cancer event in Second Life.
  • Out Shop Cancer: coordinating the tasks related to the Out-Shop Cancer breast cancer event in Second Life.

It is Stingray Raymaker’s hope that by initiating and growing the new events and activities within this list while continue to grow and enhance the existing range of events fostered by Relay for Life in Second Life, the American Cancer Society will be seen as the premier destination experience for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and their families and friends worldwide. A place where they can find support, answers, education, and resources to help one another and anyone facing cancer wherever they are in the world and on the grid.

via Stingray Raymaker and the RFL of SL website.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 2018 in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Across Second Life

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Across Second Life MSABC), and to celebrate, the MSABC team are running not one, but two major events through their primary fund-raising month of October, with registrations for both now open through until mid-August.

The two events, the Out Shop Cancer Shopping Event and the 2018 Strides Parade of Homes in SL. will both run from October 1st through 31st, 2018, and you can find out more about both below.

Out Shop Cancer Shopping Event

via Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Across Second Life

The Out Shop Cancer Shopping Event expands on the traditional fund-raising shopping event, by taking participating shoppers out across the gird to the main stores of participating creators and merchants, rather than offering limited space for stalls and shoppers within an event region.

Participating stores are required to have at least one MSABC vendor and / or gacha with proceeds going to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer in Second Life. Two vendors types will be available: 100% of proceeds to MSABC and a 50% split between the store and MSABC. A registration fee for participation is also  applicable, and registration and sponsorship fees are non-refundable.

Shoppers will be able to visit participating stores either via a special MSABC teleport HUD, or via a web-based shopping guide with SLurls.

Merchants wishing to participate should note that space on the HUD is limited, and offered on a first come, first serve, basis. However, all participating stores will be listed on the MSABC web shopping guide, and via social media channels and in-world note cards. Participating designers will be listed on a board during official Making Strides Against Breast Cancer in Second Life events.

There will be a special means for SL Marketplace only stores to participate in the event. For full details on the event, including how to participate from the SL Marketplace, please use the following MSABC links:

*** Merchant registration and fees are due by August 15, 2018 ***

via Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Across Second Life

2018 Strides Parade of Homes in Second Life

The 2018 Strides Parade of Homes in Second Life will take people on a tour of some of Second Life’s newest Dream Homes, decorated by top Second Life home decor specialists, with beautiful landscaping features from top Second Life garden and landscaping pros. So, whether you are ready for a change or move in Second Life or planning for the new year, Parade of Homes gives you the opportunity to get everything you need for your SL dreams while supporting MSABC.

The event invites all Second Life builders, interior designers, and home and garden creators to show off their incredible talent. There is a non-refundable fee of L$1000 for participation as a builder / landscaper, and combining talents (builder, landscaper and interior designer is encouraged among participants). Builds can be any size from fitting on a 1024 up to a mansion, and  skyboxes are included.

Participating builds are to be hosted in the location / store determined by those presenting them, and must be available for the entire month of October 2018. All participating builds / designs will be included on a MSABC Parade of Homes HUD, enabling shoppers / customers, etc., to visit them.

For full details on the event builders, landscapers and designers should refer to the following MSABC links:

*** Merchant registration and fees are due by August 15, 2018 ***

About MSABC

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer or MSABC is the largest network of breast cancer awareness events in the United States, uniting more than 300 communities to finish the fight. Every breast cancer walk and event is an incredible and inspiring opportunity to honour those who have battled breast cancer, raise awareness about what we can do to reduce our breast cancer risk, and raise money to help the American Cancer Society fight the disease with research, information, services, and access to mammograms for women who need them.

 

2018 Home and Garden Expo in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

The 10th Home and Garden Expo (HGE) in support of Relay for Life of Second Life and the American Cancer Society, is currently open, and will remain so until Saturday, June 2nd, 2018. Taking place across seven (Home Expo 1 through 6 and Expo Centre) regions, the event offers some of the finest in home, garden, and furnishing designs available across the grid, as well as a range of breedables and breedable accessories.

With over 100 exhibitors taking part, the event offers something for anyone who is looking for a new home, ideas for furnishing and decor, wishing to improve their building (or other) skills, or who just wishes to keep abreast of the latest building / home trends in Second Life.

Home and Garden Expo 2018

Throughout the Expo there will be a range of events and activities, including entertainment and dancing, classes, gachas, talks and discussions, an art show (with pieces by Your’s Truly – all proceed from their sale to RFL of SL), a market, an auction, and more.

RFL Awareness Hunt

This year’s hunt allows participants to explore the Expo regions and visit the twenty Awareness kiosks where they can learn about the different types of cancer. There are also hand prints and ribbons to collect, which denote which kiosks you’ve visited and decorate the tree on the Hunt HUD (available for L$250 from hunt vendors). In addition, the Awareness kiosks may award participants an additional random prize.

When you’ve visited all twenty of the Awareness kiosks, hunt participants will receive an Meeroo avatar.

Home and Garden Expo Map (click for full size)

Decorating Competition

*Entry applications close Monday, May 21st*

Twelve homes have been set-up on Home Expo 6, in six different styles by six different builders. The twelve entrants in the competition will be given an allowance of 500 prims (/Land Impact) with which to decorate their home and its garden.

Each contestant can decorate in any style they wish that suits their house, but they must include at least three items purchased from RFL vendors at the Home and Garden Expo. All houses must be decorated by Saturday, May 26th, 2018. Thereafter, from Sunday, May 27th through Friday, June 1st, 2018 visitors to the Expo will be able to vote on which house and garden they like best.

The breakdown of prizes has yet to be announced, but the overall prize pot, at the time of writing this article, stood at L$35,000.

Visit the competition page to enter – and remember, applications must be made by the end of Monday, May 21st, 2018.

Lantern Releases and Luminaria

Every day of the Expo at 16:00 SLT, lanterns will be released from the Expo Reflection Centre, in honour of all those afflicted by cancer.

The reflection area is also the place where you can light a luminaria lantern in memory of a loved one or in support of one fighting cancer now.

Home and Garden Expo Reflection Centre

With so much to see, it is likely that more than one visit might be required to see all of the designs and gardens – and with the number of exhibitors, pointing to specific creators is a little unfair. I therefore suggest that should you go, start your visit at the central Expo Center region – and then work your way around the regions using that as your anchor point.

About the Expo

The Home and Garden Expo raises money for Relay For Life of Second Life (RFL of SL). Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature fund-raising event, and RFL of SL is one of its virtual counterparts. You can find more information about RFL of SL at the official website.

Expo exhibitors are required to have two 100% donation items at the Expo. These items must be new and exclusive to the Expo for the duration of the event.

100% of registration fees, sponsorship fees and donation items are paid to Relay For Life of Second Life. 50% of the proceeds from the gachas will be paid to RFL and 100% of the L$10 hunt items.

Links

SL Sci-Fi Expo 2018

Posted on by Inara Pey
SL Sci-Fi Expo 2018

The 2018 Second Life Sci-Fi Expo touched-down safely on the main grid on Saturday May 12th, 2018 ready to embark Second Life residents on flights of intergalactic adventure and fancy which will continue through until Sunday, May 20th, 2018.

Active across four regions this year, the convention once again presents a broad range of science-fiction related role-play and content, all bound together in the aim of raising funds for Relay for Life of Second Life and the American Cancer Society.

In addition, the event features a range of entertainment and presentations. So much is going on through the week in fact, that the best way of staying up-to-date on things is to check the convention’s event calendar (don’t be confused by it being referred to as the 2017 calendar). This can also be found at strategic points scattered throughout the convention’s regions on browsable display boards, so keeping up-to-speed on where to go and what to see is pretty easy.

SL Sci-Fi Expo 2018

If I’m totally honest, the convention seemed – on visiting and in viewing the website – a lot more subdued this year than in previous years. I’m not aware of any significant themes to the region, outside of Land of the Giants for the central (“hub”?) region; there doesn’t appear to be a list of exhibitors this year, and the website itself – at the time of writing does not appear to have been updated since May 5th, 2018.

Within the regions themselves, traffic was high during my two visits, while Star Trek appears to have the largest presence in terms of the number of booths etc – which is not to say the event is in any way exclusive to Trek; there are a fair few TARDIS telephone boxes scattered around and the odd Viper and Cylon Raider can be seen, as well as a Marvel Comics hero or two. Do be aware, when visiting, that several of the exhibition booths have teleporters leading elsewhere – so if some see a little devoid of information, this could be the reason why.

So, as I’m prone to say when previewing this event: whatever your interest in science fiction, be sure to set your phaser on fun and head back to the future with a visit to the SL Sci-Fi convention.

SLurl Details