Every year, hundreds of people in Second Life give their time, creativity and money to help raise funds and awareness on behalf of the ‘American Cancer Society’ at FASHION FOR LIFE.

This year from March 9th – 17th, an incredible 9 sims built by some of the grids best artists and builders will open to the public based on the theme of ‘The Seven Ancient Wonders of the World.’

But it’s not only the very best fashion you can expect to see this year but also dazzling art, beautiful buildings and a schedule of live events and fashion shows produced by SL’s top fashion agencies!

Event Schedule

The week will also host a schedule of live entertainment, music and catwalk events and each scheduled fashion show will reveal different outfits from the all new ‘Fashion for Life 2013’ collection. All times SLT.

• Saturday, March 9th Midday: Fashion for Life 2013 grand opening
• Sunday, March 10th, 10:00: Fashion show produced by KV Dream Agency
• Monday, March 11th, 16:00: Fashion show produced by Solo Evane
• Tuesday, March 12th, 16:00: Elegance Agency Avenue
• Wednesday March 13th:
  • 16:00: Fashion show produced by: Elegance Agency
  • 18:00: Antonio Galloway in concert
• Thursday, March 14th: Fashion show produced by ZeroModa Italia
• Friday, March 15th:
  • Midday: Changhigh Sisters Fireshow of Light, Life and Love
  • 16:00: Fashion show produced by Opium Evolution
• Saturday March 16th, 10:00: Galliano couture-inspired collection produced by BLVD agency
• Sunday March 17th:
  • 09:00: Grande Finale – SL Top Model Competition
  • 11:00: Closing Party & raffle winner announcement.

BOSL Radio will also stream across all 9 sims in partnership with The Velvet SL club.

In addition, there will be a public “Best FFL Photo Contest” for the duration of the event. The winner will receive items from participating FFL designers – details of the competition format TBA.

Sim Builders and Sponsors

• Fashion For Life – Built by Eshi Otawara – Sponsored by Christianraven Resident
• Lighthouse of Alexandria – Built by Bryn Oh – Sponsored by [sYs] Design
• Great Pyramid of Giza – Built by Thoth Jantzen – Sponsored by Chop Zuey Couture and Jewellery
• Colossus of Rhodes – Built by Rebeca Bashly – Sponsored by .:EMO-tions:
• Temple of Artemis at Ephesus – Built by nexuno Thespian – Sponsored by Leri Miles Designs, Quality mesh fashion
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon – Built by Patch Thibaud – Sponsored by Tres Beau Designs in honour of loved ones lost
• Statue of Zeus at Olympia – Built by KarlinJames Zepp – Sponsored by Sonatta Morales *8* Vintage Couture
• Mausoleum at Halicarnassus – Built by  Kaya Angel – Sponsored by LAZURI
• FFL Event Sim  – Built by Eshi Otawara – sponsored by Miss Mundo Virtual Organization

VIP Sponsors

• Tjake Kearny
• Giz Seorn

Related Links

• Fashion for Life announcement (BOSL blog)
• Fashion for Life on Flickr
• RFL of SL blog
• RFL of SL website
• RFL USA (American Cancer Society)
• RFL UK (Cancer Research)
• RFL coverage in this blog

With thanks to Frolic Mills.

This week sees activities for the 2013 Relay for Life of Second Life well and truly get underway with the return of Relay Rap and the opening of this year’s Team Registrations.

As with previous years, activities will be held across the grid in the months and weeks ahead of the Relay for Life weekend in July, and will also follow-on from the weekend through until the end of the year, and participating teams are being encouraged to join-in, organise events and raise money for the fight against cancer.

Team Registrations Open

On Friday 8th February, Team Registrations for RFL of SL opened. To quote from the official documentation on the role of RFL of SL Teams:

Forming a Relay For Life team in Second Life is an important undertaking. It will be a lot work and a huge commitment, but one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have in Second Life. You and your team will become part of the Relay family, and together we will raise money and awareness in the fight against cancer!

Teams require both a Captain and a Co-captain as well as a name. There are no restrictions on the overall size of a team, but both the Captain and Co-captain must be prepared to give up a sizeable amount of their SL time throughout the 2013 RFL season, leading  and motivating their team and keeping everyone focused on success in fundraising. There will be Team Captain training and informational meetings held throughout the season to assist Team Captains, and all Captains are encouraged to attend.

Teams hold events throughout SL with the aim of raising funds for the cause, can have camps at the Relay Weekend regions and of course participate in the Relay Weekend itself. For further ideas on team and activities, see the RFL of SL team roster, and example of events already being organised by teams can be found on the Team Events webpage.

There are a few basic rules and guidelines to go with group formation and applications:

• Team names should be PG and not have sexually explicit connotations, inappropriate wording or curse words
• All team names must be approved by the RFL of SL Team Chair
• For ease of communications, it is recommended that teams should form an in-world group with the team name, or use a suitable mailbox system, as available on the SL Marketplace.

Once a team has been registered with RFL of SL, a member of the Teams Coordination Committee will pass along information to help get things started, including contact details for the RFL of SL Coaches Committee, to whom teams can reach out to with questions and requests.

The team registration form is now available on the RFL of SL website.

Fashion For Life

This year’s Fashion for Life runs from Sunday March 9th through until Monday March 17th. With the theme of “The Seven Wonders of the World”, the event will take place across seven themed regions and two event regions, and shop reservations are now being taken. The following should be noted if applying for a store:

• The entry fee for a Fashion For Life store is L$5,000
• All payments must only be made to FASHION4LIFE2013 Resident
• Once the entry fee has been paid, the transaction record should be copy/pasted to Anne Daumig who will send an invite to join the FASHION4LIFE Group
• Designers are asked to contribute 3 new and EXCLUSIVE items to be sold only at Fashion For Life with 100% of sales going to Relay For Life. Sales from any other vendor go completely to the designer.

For further information on Fashion for Life, please refer to the Best of SL blog.

Sponsorship Opportunities

There are still some RFL of SL sponsorship opportunities available. Sponsorship brings with it special recognition and promotion, and is open to organisations and business both inside of and outside of Second Life, as well as individuals and teams.

Details on the available sponsorship opportunities can be found on the RFL of SL website,, which includes details of who to contact in the RFL of SL team.

Relay Rap – Starting Sunday 10th February

Sunday February 10th marks the return of the Relay Rap radio show. From 16:00 SLT on the 10th February through until 10:00 on Saturday July 13th, Relay Rockers  proudly present a weekly talk show for and about Relay For Life of Second Life, The American Cancer Society, The Teams, The Events, and YOU-Relay World and an hour of fun and information.

The show is open to the public to attend the broadcasts, which will be held at the Relay Raps stage on Arinultra Cay every Sunday through until the Relay Weekend.

Related Links

• RFL of SL blog
• RFL of SL website
• RFL of SL Team Registration Page
• RFL of SL Team Page
• RFL of SL Team Events Page
• Fashion for Life announcement (BOSL blog)
• RFL USA (American Cancer Society)
• RFL UK (Cancer Research)
• RFL coverage in this blog

The Relay For Life of SL website is bringing forth news on events planned for 2013. As with previous years, activities will be held across the grid in the months and weeks ahead of the Relay for Life weekend in July, and will also follow-on from the weekend through until the end of the year.

As always, there are a wide range of events and activities being planned – some of them directly by the RFL of SL core team, others by the many RFL of SL support teams across the grid and more still by individuals and groups who routinely support RFL, or who wish to show support for RFL by holding events of their own.

Here are some of the forthcoming activities  – please make sure you visit the RFL of SL website to keep fully informed of events, activities and other news.

January

• Sunday 27 January, 15:30 SLT: Relay Rap – details tba
  

March

• Saturday 9th: Official launch of the fundraising season, which will include live music, presentation of the 2013 RFL season timeline and more
• Saturday 9th through Monday 18th: Fashion for Life, featuring everything about fashion in SL – coordinator: Frolic Mills

April

• Saturday 20th through Sunday 28th: Fantasy Faire 2013 – the best in SL fantasy presented across beautifully themed sims and a highlight of the SL year

May

• Friday 17th through Monday 27th: SL Home and Garden Expo 2013: The largest Home & Garden Event of its kind benefitting RFL
• Saturday 18th – Sunday 19th: The Half-way There Fair: an opportunity for teams and committee and supporters to come together and share in a wide range of activities including live music, rides, games and the International Relay Festival

July

• Saturday 13th – Sunday 14th: Relay Weekend: The largest fundraising event held within virtual worlds. A 40+ region event featuring relays around the track, with entertainment and more. An opportunity to celebrate with those who have survived cancer, add support in the fight against cancer and join in remembrance of those family and friends we have lost to cancer.

August

• The Wrap-up Party (dates tba): A time to come together and celebrate the success of the year, with awards given to teams and participants and hear news about the next RFL season.

As well as this events, there will be others held throughout the year in support of RFL, including a wide range of RFL Team Events. So again, keep your eyes on the RFL website for news and updates.

Participating in RFL of SL

Those wishing to form a team and participate directly in RFL of SL events, including the Relay Weekend, will be able to register a team from Friday February 8th, 2013, when the registration form will open on the RFL of SL website.

Related Links

• RFL of SL blog
• RFL of SL website
• RFL USA (American Cancer Society)
• RFL UK (Cancer Research)
• RFL coverage in this blog

Last week I paid a visit to the 2012 SL Christmas Expo, which features fund-raising efforts for Relay for Life. Proceeds from special vendors in the Expo stores as well as donation to the familiar RFL kiosks will be going directly to RFL SL.

One of the things you can get at the Expo is a CD containing 39 Christmas songs and bonus track. This is available from special vendors at the Expo, with all proceeds again going to RFL SL.

The album showcases some of the finest musicians and singers performing in Second Life, and is a veritable tour-de-force of the talent on offer through the medium of the platform. The songs, ordered by track / artist(s) are:

1. Away in a Manger – Grace McDunnough
2. Sleigh Ride – Voodoo Shilton
3. Where are you Christmas – Shaye Dezno-Jonstone
4. Christmas is the Heart – Jon and the Anonymous Virtual Orchestra
5. Mr. Grinch – Damian Carbenell
6. I Want Things – Sara Tiemogo (Saramarie Philly in SL)
7. Jingle Bell Rock – Gina Stella
8. Noche de Paz – Eliz Watanabe
9. I’ll Be Home for Christmas – Kitty Zeddmore
10. Christmas Waltz – Nad Gough
11. White Christmas – Lyrica Acoustic and PT Beardmore
12. Destiny Christmas – Quantamis Navarathna
13. Silent Night – Amereth Popstar
14. Happy Xmas – Clairede Dirval, Dixie Silverweb and Tristan Silverweb
15. O Holy Night –  Laura Savio
16. The Christmas Song – Jean Munro
17. Little Drummer Boy-Peace on Earth – David Csiszer
18. Joy to the World – Louis Landon
19. All I Want For Christmas is You – TerryLynn Melody
20. Ave Maria – Antonio Galloway
21. Santa Baby – Sassy Nitely (Barbie Horsley)
22. Deck the Funk – Gweeb
23. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – AMForte Clarity
24. Blue Christmas – Starrfish Ohmai
25. The Perfect Gift – Anek Fuchs
26. Jingle Bells – Tamra Hayden (Tamra Sands in SL) and Eugene Gwozdz
27. Fairytale of New York – Maximillion Kleene and Stella Silvansky
28. Who Put the Dick on the Snowman – Mandoaa Dragonash
29. Please Come Home for Christmas – Hogan Baily
30. Mary Did You Know – ScarlettLa Roux
31. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Savannah Coronet
32. Winter Wonderland – Carah Nitely
33. Let it Snow – Joaquin Gustav
34. Jesus, Joy of Man’s Desiring – Tamra Hayden (Tamra Sands in SL) and Handarido Optera
35. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas –  Kristina Helene (Therese Nightfire in SL)
36. Merry Christmas from the Family – Karter Stonecutter
37. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – Damian Carbenell
38. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – AMForte Clarity
39. Feliz Navidad – Jase Branner
40. Winning – POL Arida (Bonus non-Christmas Song)

(And yes, you did read the title of track 28 correctly!)

The cost of the CD is L$500 – but you can donate more if you want.

The package includes an in-world media player and download system which ensures a very smooth playback of all tracks (if you use the media filter common to many TPVs, you might want to turn it off or ensure you trust the CD domain in order to enjoy uninterrupted playback). The player itself allows you to shuffle back and forth through the track and play tracks randomly rather than in order. There is also a link to a webpage where you can download the tracks outside of SL and take them with you wherever you go.

For those unfamiliar with RFL and RFL SL, there is also a short history of both included in the package, which highlights the fact that SL users have, over the years, raised in excess of $1 million for cancer research and treatment.

All of us have more than likely been touched by cancer in one way or another, either directly or through a family member or friend. As such, this CD provides a very special way of helping in the march towards finding a cure – so why not take a jump over to the Christmas Expo and treat yourself to a copy?

Related Links

• SL Christmas Expo blog
• SL Christmas Expo Holiday Park SLurl (for the CD – All regions rated Moderate)
• RFL SL blog
• RFL SL website
• RFL USA (American Cancer Society)
• RFL UK (Cancer Research)

RFL of SL’s 2012 Relay Weekend has commenced. The sims are open, and the survivor / caregiver walk has set the stage for 24 hours of lapped themes around the track. The weekend kicked-off with a grand opening ceremony – which I have to confess to having to miss as I couldn’t get into the 4 regions where the ceremony was taking place – and will now run through until 10:00 SLT on Sunday 15th July, with track laps taking place at the start of almost every hour, and a host of events and activities taking place across the track regions.

If you are planning to walk the track, donate, and joy in events – and of course, you are planning to do just that! – make sure your first port-of-call is the welcome centre, where you can collect your pedometer and walk-and-talk attachments, as I mentioned last time around. Here to you can also get your RFL of 2012 Visitor’s Guide, which you can also view on-line.

From here you can use the teleport system to randomly TP you to a point on the grid, or jump directly to one of the points of interest – the RFL blog has a list of events taking place at the various stages throughout today and tomorrow.

The weekend is liable to be popular, so please try to be as low-lag during your visit as possible and detach any / all unneeded attachments. Gift bags line the track itself, allowing you to drop your Lindens into them at any time, and you can of course opt to swing off the track at any time and enjoy any of the fabulous builds along the route before continuing on your way – the themed walks last an hour, which should provide a decent amount of time for admiring builds as well as for putting in your laps!

Given this year’s theme is Time for a Cure, many of the builds feature time and clocks within them – often in the most imaginative of ways. All the builds offer something special and are worth a visit in their own right, and really are worth visiting and exploring – and give you ample time to join in for a lap or two!

I’m hoping to join-in for at least two of the themed laps over the course of the weekend – I have my costumes at the ready – and look forward to see you there as well :).

Related Links

• RFL SL blog
• RFL SL website
• RFL USA (American Cancer Society)
• RFL UK (Cancer Research)

Tomorrow, Saturday 14th July, sees the start oF RFL of SL Relay Weekend. Events will commence  at 10:00 SLT with the Opening Ceremony, after which the laps of the track will begin.

When visiting the RFL track, make sure you head for the Welcome Center when you first arrive. Here you can obtain the Pedometer and the Walk and Talk attachments by touching the Track Tools sign. These will measure your progress around the track and allow you to socialize while automatically walking around the track.

While at the Welcome Centre make sure you also click on the Luminaria sign and receive a reference to the colors of the Luminari and the Themed Laps sign for anotecard on the themed laps for the weekend.

As well as the track walks, there will be a lot going on across all of the track regions. There are three music stages and there will be a wide range of activities throughout the weekend, including: an art show, flea market, silent auction, snail races, a breedables auction and water activities.

RFL 2012 Relay Weekend SLurls