Tag: SOS

Now open through until Sunday, September 22nd, 2024 (inclusive) in Second Life is the 2024 edition of the Spoonful of Sugar festival in support of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the globe-spanning non-profit organisation delivering emergency and humanitarian aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and similar.

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 in 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.

Since its own establishment, the SOS event has raised more than US $100,000 for MSF’s global work, in keeping with its mission statement.

We believe the simplest form of compassion is to simply care for the life of another. And we believe medical care to be the most fundamentally basic means by which to do that.

– The Spoonful Of Sugar Festival Mission Statement

This year, SOS is taking place across a total of six regions with the theme of En France!, with five of the six regions very much focused on MSF’s founding city of Paris. Four of these regions present the core shopping elements to the event, each one presented as scene featuring the kind of French townhouses and business façades found along places like the Champs-Élysées, surrounding a central area representative of I. M. Pei’s glass-and-metal Louvre Pyramid, located in the Palace’s Cour Napoléon.

With pairs of these regions sitting to either side, the two central regions are more open in their design. The first forms the main landing point and activities venue for SOS, and is dominated by the Eiffel Tower and the park below it, into which has also been placed a giant Ferris wheel, which I take as representing the 60-metre wheel at the Tuileries Gardens. This region – SOS Uber Global – is connected to two of the shopping regions by bridges, with a further bridge connecting it to the other central region in the group.

The latter is mindful of rural France, and is home to various spaces given over to breedables, landscaping and gardening – and most notably, a special 10th anniversary art display presented by Harmonic Sanctuary, founded and operated by Harlow Jones Blues (harlowjones) and Jess Blues (JessBlues).

Une Célébration Du Pays Basque “takes you on a journey through the stunning landscapes and rich culture of the Basque region of France”. Centred on a watermill similar to those which might found in the region, and here offered and in homage to Jess’ father, who was born in such a building. The exhibition offers a rich and engaging collection of images in celebration of the French Basque region – the landscape, the people and the lifestyle, with an additional display of art located in the cave to one side of the gallery building.

Beyond this, the setting continues as a place to explore and spend time within, and I recommended taking time to pick up a note card from the information board at the gallery’s landing point. It contains a wealth of information that’s worth the time taken to read it – and remember that much of the art (produced by Jess and Harlow) is offered for sale exclusively at SOS, with a goodly portion of the cost going directly to the event.

The best way to find out about all that’s going on at SOS 2024 and which stores are where within the region is via the official website, where you can find the schedule of entertainment, and the region list page with SLurls directly to all stores and points of interest. The base of the Eiffel Tower is the location for the event’s raffle, and also a place where Animesh mime artists can be found performing (this is Paris, after all!), with a select of low-cost items with 100% of all proceeds going to the event right next to them. I didn’t notice any hunt this year – but might have missed it in my travels.

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

• Spoonful of Sugar Main Landing Point (SOS Uber Global, rated: Moderate)
• Une Célébration Du Pays Basque
• Spoonful of Sugar website
• Spoonful of Sugar articles in this blog

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.

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.

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

• Spoonful of Sugar Main Landing Point (Spoonful of Sugar, rated: Moderate)
• Spoonful of Sugar website
• Spoonful of Sugar articles in this blog

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.

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.

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!

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

• Spoonful of Sugar Main Landing Point (Spoonful of Sugar, rated: Moderate)
• Spoonful of Sugar website
• Spoonful of Sugar articles in this blog

Currently underway in Second Life through until Saturday, October 2nd, 2021 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 exclusion from healthcare around the globe, based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

Since its founding, MSF has grown to a movement of 24 associations, bound together as MSF International, based in Switzerland. 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. Much of this work is focused on third world countries where the likes of tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS continue to be major health threats to people of all ages.

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.

Since its foundation in 2016, Spoonful of Sugar has year-on-year consistently built on the amount it raises for MSF, with 2020 seeing the event contribute US $27,879. In all, and up to the opening of this year’s festival, Spoonful of Sugar had raised over US $80,000 for MSF, where over 80% of all funds raised by the organisation in turn go directly into its social and medical programmes, the remaining 19.5% being split between administration and management (4.5%) and global fund-raising initiatives by MSF (15%).

The 2021 Spoonful of Sugar opened on September 18th, 2021 with a special message from Greta Doucette, the Digital Marketing Associate for MSF Peer-to-Peer and Streaming Programmes, followed by the start of the events rolling music and entertainment schedule. Covering a total of six regions, the event combines shopping, entertainment, fashion and breedables in and event that has something for everyone.

The selected theme for Spoonful of Sugar 2021 is Mexico, with the shopping regions each featuring a little town in gay colours, complete with fund-raising kiosks along the broad streets. Some of these are of the “traditional” click-to-pay variety, others are more novel, offering the opportunity to buy special items such as the Astralia Taco Party set or grab yourself a Mexican recipes cook book.

All of the five shopping regions can be reached via a teleport station at the main landing point for the event (further stations can be found in each of the shopping regions). The landing point also provides information on the the festival and offers the opportunity to join the event’s chupacabra hunt that is packed with rewards from leading creators, and offers s free plushie on joining the event group.

Also to be found at the landing point is extensive information on a part of MSF’s work that is year-on-year becoming increasingly significant: dealing with the humanitarian crisis of forcibly displaced people. Those who are,  due to war, political or religious extremism, gang violence, terror, or other life-threatening circumstance, and unable to live safely within their preferred parts of their homelands (some 48 million people), or have been forced to flee their homeland entirely (30.3 million). At a time when those of certain politic stripes present the displaced and the homeless as some form of blight on society, the MSF information at Spoonful of Sugar is an important reminder of the reality of the plight of 82.4 million people world-wide.

I’m here to tell you that nobody wants to leave home. They love their cities, their neighbourhoods. They love speaking their own language. The people fleeing their home countries are running because their home countries aren’t safe. They are fleeing for their lives.

– Dr. Ahmed Abdalzarag, MSF neurosurgeon

As such, Spoonful of Sugar is an event well worth the time taken to visit. Event 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 worth cause..

SLurl and Links

• Spoonful of Sugar Main Landing Point (Spoonful of Sugar, rated: Moderate)
• Spoonful of Sugar website
• Spoonful of Sugar articles in this blog

Currently open through until the end of September 29th, is the 2019 Spoonful of Sugar festival, bringing together fashion, home and garden, breedable designers and creators, artists, DJs and live performers to help raise money for 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 exclusion from healthcare around the globe, based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

Since that time, MSF has grown to a movement of 24 associations, bound together as MSF International, based in Switzerland. Thousands of health professionals, logistical and administrative staff – most of whom are hired locally – work on programmes in some 70 countries worldwide. See the video at the end of this article for more on MSF.

Spoonful of Sugar is now in its fifth year, and has thus far raised US $40,000 for MSF as a part of the organisation’s Vital Pact Campaign – and hopes to take that total to at least US $50,000 in 2019.

Every year, Spoonful of Sugar selects a theme for its core event. This year, the focus is very much middle-eastern: a desert environment with out of which have grown four small “towns”, each an oasis of human life in which the streets form a souq and home to many of the merchants participating in this year’s event. Large sponsors of the event are to be found gathered around the oasis a short walk from the landing point.

But the setting is not simply about the romance of the desert and camel trains of traders; it actually underscores the focus for Spoonful of Sugar this year: the plight of refugees, which over the last several years has been brought sharply into focus by the crises that continue to rock the middle-east. World-wide, there are now a recorded 70.8 “forcibly displaced” people (only 20 million of who are officially designated “refugees”) who – however unwillingly – have had to flee their homelands due to war, political or religious extremism, gang violence, terror, or other life-threatening circumstances.

These 70.8 million recognised refugees make up a significant portion of MSF’s work – as the Spoonful of Sugar landing point reveals. And in an age when those of a certain political stripe repeatedly opt to demonize people who are fleeing their homelands – and often leaving behind friends and families – to escape death and destruction as “the worst people” and / or “rapists and murderers”, focusing on the huge humanitarian efforts performed by organisations like MSF is fully warranted.

I’m here to tell you that nobody wants to leave home. They love their cities, their neighbourhoods. They love speaking their own language. The people fleeing their home countries are running because their home countries aren’t safe. They are fleeing for their lives.

– Dr. Ahmed Abdalzarag, MSF neurosurgeon

Thus, the landing point offers visitors an opportunity to look inside a typical refugee camp and witness the work that MSF carries out, from triaging injuries and illnesses to working the logistics of food, drinking water and other essential supplies to providing shelter. Information boards throughout outline the work and offer insight into MSF’s multi-faceted work. Yes, the setting may desert, but it could also so easily be the grasslands of Africa, the forests of South America – or any of the multitude of places around the globe where refugees are attempting to seek help and support; as such I do recommend that rather than hopping straight on to the teleport boards and going shopping, people spend a few minutes within the camp.

As well as the shopping opportunities, there is also entertainment taking place over the weekends of the event – with a schedule available via the Spoonful of Sugar website. Also forming part of the event is the gacha area and the event raffle, while updates and information can also be found on the Spoonful of Sugar website.

SLurl and Links

• Spoonful of Sugar Main Landing Point (Spoonful of Sugar, rated: Moderate)
• Spoonful of Sugar website
• Spoonful of Sugar articles in this blog

The 2019 Spoonful of Sugar (SOS) festival will be opening its doors on Saturday, September 14th, 2019 and will run through until Sunday September 29th. It will bring together fashion, home and garden, breedable designers and creators, artists, DJs and live performers to help raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Merchant registrations for the event are now open, with an extensive range of tiers available for those interested in supporting the event. Full details on these options can be found of the SOS Registration page – all of which should be read in full before applying – but a summary is provided here as a means of quick review.

Sponsor Tiers

Facility

• Only 15 spots available.
• 500 Li awarded.
• 30 x 30 metre build size.
• 2 x 100% donation to SOS vendors required (more if you wish up to LI limit).
• As many 50% or 75% donation to SOS vendors as you wish, up to LI limit.
• Up to 15 vendors allowed for your store (exceptions for hair ans skin vendors – see Registration page).
• Individual fashion show for your brand – see Registration page).
• fee: L$9000.

Triage

• 300 Li awarded.
• 20 x 25 metre build size.
• 2 x 100% donation to SOS vendors required (more if you wish, up to LI limit).
• As many 50% or 75% donation to SOS vendors as you wish, up to LI limit.
• Up to 12 vendors allowed for your store (exceptions for hair ans skin vendors – see Registration page).
• Participation in general fashion show.
• fee: L$6000.

Surgical

• 200 Li awarded.
• 15 x 12 metre build size.
• 1 x 100% donation to SOS vendors required (more if you wish, up to LI limit).
• As many 50% or 75% donation to SOS vendors as you wish, up to LI limit.
• Up to 8 vendors allowed for your store (exceptions for hair ans skin vendors – see Registration page).
• Participation in general fashion show by invitation only, and if space available.
• fee: L$3000.

Clinical

• 100 Li awarded.
• 10 x 8 metre build size.
• 1 x 100% donation to SOS vendors required (more if you wish, up to LI limit).
• As many 50% or 75% donation to SOS vendors as you wish, up to LI limit.
• Up to 4 vendors allowed for your store (exceptions for hair ans skin vendors – see Registration page).
• fee: L$1000.

Additional notes:

• All fees form a 100% donation to SOS / MSF and are non-refundable.
• Each tier has requirements and responsibilities specific to the type of merchant applying (fashion / home and garden / breedables) – again, please refer to the Registration page for details.
  • There are exceptions to these requirements at each tier level as well.
• All SOS/MSF proceeded items must be placed within SOS vendors that will be supplied by the organisers.
• Non-scripted vendors must be used for all non-SOS/MSF proceeded items offered for sale.
• Again, all applicants must read the full requirements and guidelines on the Registration page prior to applying.

About 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 exclusion from healthcare around the globe, based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

Since that time, MSF has grown to a movement of 24 associations, bound together as MSF International, based in Switzerland. Thousands of health professionals, logistical and administrative staff – most of whom are hired locally – work on programmes in some 70 countries worldwide. See the video at the end of this article for more on MSF.

Additional Links

• Spoonful of Sugar website