Reader Submitted: Scenes From The Relay Weekend

 

 Pictures from Kamida Delec

 

 From RFL Healing, "Dinky sim, including the Crystal empire castle from MLP Gen 4."

 

 

 

"I found a Disney forest."

 

 "And I went back to take a picture of my Dads memorial."

 

Pictures by Kamida Delec 

 

Reader Submitted: The Ertina Loopen Memorial Foundation

 

By Journey Texan

 

Before Relay weekend becomes too distant in our rear-view mirrors, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who reached out to me or to others near me to express how much they were moved by the Ertina Loopen Memorial Foundation at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/RFL%20Inspire/194/135/24 .  

I'm glad that I could create something that resonated with those who stopped to appreciate it and to learn more about Tina. While every day is an opportunity for me to remember and pay tribute to Tina, few days have as much visual impact as the ones during Relay weekend, so I am grateful for having the opportunity to share something meaningful with you there. 

If you missed the campsite, attached are a few photos to show that it presented the question "What do you do when cancer turns your life upside-down?" Fellow Relayers submitted answers which were displayed around the giant window frame on the ground. 

 

In the sky, a recreation of the actual Ertina Loopen Memorial Home & Garden was built and turned upside-down. You can actually go up there to sit on the inverted furniture. Other areas featured the team tent with its patented giant foot and back massage area, and other areas were further away from the track for quiet reflection. 

If you ever want to visit the actual Ertina Loopen Home & Garden, it is at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Kangean/62/76/1501 . 

My thanks again to every individual and team that helped the Foundation contribute to the American Cancer Society during the season. It means a lot to me as well as to countless others whom we will never know. 

Journey Texan for the Ertina Loopen Memorial Foundation  

 

 

Design 

A Song For The Relay, "We Are Here"

 

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

Mattie Carlton/Mattie Foxpaws, is a lady of many talents. A DJ in Second Life, as well as a Relayer, she has raised more money at a few events than some teams. But she has done more than play music lately. Recently she finished a song, and contacted me about it. 

"I wanna donate it," Mattie told me over Discord, "I dunno if its Newser worthy or not, but I knew you would like to have it." Mattie would explain how it was made, "I started the lyrics back in 2020 and set it aside for a bit due to life ... I finished the songs lyrics today, while thinking about my late friend Kei (Kei Haru Paws / dante184). Then for the heck of it i started playing with the song using a vocaloid (basically a sort of synthesized voice) and with the small bits of music theory I know, and a little help from AI (to fill in some instruments I never got to learn to play) I was able to complete a final and usable cut.

"While its not what I would can a studio quality final mix or anything, its in a state it can be used as is and shared for Relay. I want no royalties or anything. This is just a gift.  A small way I can help out. I want to make up for not being there for as many events lately as well. If anyone wishes, they can also use this as framework to make their own covers or derivatives."

 

 [Verse 1]
It takes so many we love.
Others survive, but the pain's always the same.
It never shows mercy, and shows no bias.
A disease so well known, yet a mystery it remains.
No real cure, and many treatments,
It's oh so frightening.

[Chorus]
We are here, for one another.
We are here, to bring and end.
Relay has saved so many,
and with our help,
It can save so many more.

[Verse 2]
Persons so tired and weathered.
With Chemo in the veins, effects that may remain.
Sometimes only adding to the pain. Please God!
So much nausea, hair falling away. Just take it all away!
The prayers of those that are fighting,
May they be answered!

[Chorus]
We are here, for one another.
We are here, to bring and end.
Relay has saved so many,
and with our help,
It can save so many more.

[Bridge]
Alas! When treatments are no longer needed,
Cause a cure one day found,
Harmoniously Rejoicing,
As all can walk free!
For all can be healed!

[Chorus]
We are here, for one another.
We are here, to bring and end.
Relay has saved so many,
and with our help,
It will save so many more.

 

"It may not be the best written song as I'm still learning a lot about music," Mattie added, "especially music theory, and I'm not good at playing instruments so I had to use the help of computer software such but I just wanted to do something to help. I also wanted to try and express how I was feeling at the time. I'm just sick of losing people to cancer."

 

Mattie uploaded the song onto the Internet for people to download. To download the tune, Click Here.

Bixyl Shuftan

The 2022 RFL Sunbeamer Camp

 *
By Bixyl Shuftan

 

For most of its history, people have held Relay for Life events in Second Life. As a chapter, the Relay for Life in Second Life, has proven one of the most successful ones, during the Pandemic becoming the one that raised the most money. Made up of over a hundred teams, there is something of a friendly competition to raise the most money. But the teams also cooperate, the "one team" principle. 

 

The team yours truly is part of is the Sunbeamers. Growing out of the folding of another team, the Passionate Redheads in 2013, the "Sunnies" have gone from a respectable start to being a top performing team every year. Last year, we were 13th of over 130 teams, just missing the top dozen, having raised over a million Linden dollars. 

For the Sunweaver community, who make up most of its members, the team is a source of community pride, in addition to a way to do something about cancer, which has affected a number of its residents.

 

The camp was at RFL Prevention, on the east side, or to the left side of the track, traffic on the Relay Weekend moving south. The Memorial Garden was on the left side, featuring noted personalities over the years who passed away from cancer. In the middle was the Hall of Heroes, this year's feature. To the right was the Hope Lodge. 

 

Cynthia Farshore and Shockwave Yareach did most of the world on the camp (each will tell you the other did more work).

 

 Cynthia would show me around some in the camp's "Hall of Heroes."

The heroes in this case were doctors, nurses, researchers, and others in the struggle to combat cancer. 

And Relayers were counted in this exhibit.

Beside the Hall and the Memorial Garden was the Tower of Prayer.

And there were a number of signs providing information, some were about American Cancer Society apps.

There was a pond, and a couple inner tubes to cool off in.

Another part of the camp was the Hope Lodge.

A Hope Lodge offers cancer patients a free place to stay if they need treatment away from home.

Sorry to say while I thought I took some pictures of the Memorial Garden, I only found one (at the end of the article). I was likely distracted as I was reminded of some sad times.

Personal commentary:

 

Sadly, for me it was a reminder of some friends who had passed away from cancer over the years,

And at the start of the month, so had my Mother, who passed after nine months of surgery, recovery, and relapse. 

 

 So last year, I joined the ranks of the many thousands who have been caregivers. While the exhibit showed them as heroes, I myself didn't feel like a hero, just someone who was taking care of one who had taken care of him when very young. 

For me, the Relay Weekend has usually been a largely happy time, celebrating with friends, while taking a few moments to reflect on Artistic Fimicloud and others whose fight with cancer came to a sad end. While this year was still mostly happy, I often thought about friends who had passed away in the previous year: my real-life next-door neighbor, Jessicabelle Dayafter, fellow Relayer Alleara Snoodle, and now my Mother. 

But I wasn't alone, I was around friends and offered much support.

So here's to our friends and family who have helped us become what we are, and to our future, which hopefully soon will have cures to all forms of this dreaded disease. Perhaps next season will raise the last few dollars that makes it so.

Go Sunbeamers, go Relay,

Bixyl Shuftan 
 

The Surplus Motors UTV, And More Home and Garden Items

 *
By Bixyl Shuftan

While residents in Second Life can walk, teleport, and (usually) fly around, many of us desire vehicles. We're used to using them in real life, and they look cool. At the Home and Garden, Surplus Motors has one car with 100% of the money going to the Relay: the Surplus Motors UTV (Utility Task Vehicle).

To begin with, the price is 996 Linden dollars. But you don't actually get one vehicle, but you get a package deal with two sets of three. One set is for human, furry, and other avatars around 5-6 feet in height. The second is a smaller set of vehicles for dinkie tiny avatars. So instead of one vehicle for a thousand linden, it's three for 333 Lindens each (or 166 each if you spend some time in both regular-sized and dinkie avatars). 

Of the three varieties, one is the standard UTV, orange in color. Another, painted John Deere green, is made to look like it's for farming with it's wheelbarrow and other equipment in the back. There is also a white UTV made to look like it's for parking lots, or perhaps roads. Each is well detailed on the inside, with steering wheel, gearshift, dashboard, seat belts, etc.

In the notecard, Surplus Motors boasted a number of features for the UTV

-License plate change
-9 preset colors, possibility to add your own
-Projectors lights (advanced light settings only)
-Shadow on/off
-RL sounds
-Re-size
-Smoother driving
-Multiple driver and passenger animations
-Multiple shift styles
-Exhaust smoke
-Adjustable seating
-Automatic/Manual Transmission
-Unlock/Lock
-Alarm
-Eject
-Working lights
-Opening doors

....And more features to boot!

Driving the car is simple enough. Just click on it, and sit. Move by pressing the forward arrow, and steer with the left and right arrows. To shift gears, press the PageUp and PageDown buttons. But the notecard says you can by pressing SHIFT and then either the up or down arrows. To go in reverse, shift gears down to reverse, then press the up arrow. To go up an inclined surface, such as that of some of the bridges on Bellisseria, you'll probably need to shift to second or third gear.

I found the car simple enough to drive, in both regular and dinkie sizes. The dinkie UTV seems to go a little faster, but it's the same speed. It just seems faster as the car is smaller.

Talking to Jules Catlyn, the woman behind Surplus Motors, she plans on doing more dinkie-sized cars in the future, "I gave an affiliate vendor for Dinkies cars to aminata Potez. To support her sim and I like Dinkies." She added she's been getting some positive responses from Raglan Shire about them as well.

To get the Surplus Motors UTV, head to Hope 2 (184/216/23).

*  *  *  *  *

Besides the UTV, there are many other idems up for sale. For those with horses, I found a "Caution: Stallion" sign. It's at EitshEks [HX] Stables by Hera Silverfall (Herasdejavou), located at Hope 2 (60/112/23).

At Ari-Pari, the 10L hunt item is the Shamrock Top Hat Planter by Ariana Petrova, located at Hope 2 (16/92/23). Just add and unpack.

Checking Sigma, among the items they have is a hallway shelf. It costs 200L. Their 10L hunt item is a candle. Both are made by Soft Tenkins. Get them at Hope 2 (66/16/23).

That's it for now from the Expo. Enjoy the shopping.

Bixyl Shuftan
 

Macy's Christmas Parade and The Christmas Expo

 
By Gemma  Cleanslate

So the shopping goes on. There are still many places to visit if you are looking for more trees, wreaths , scenery, or outfits. I will never get to all of them and I am pretty sure you won’t either. I still have a few recommendations though. Here are some reminders first.

Frannie DJ has put away all her Thanksgiving day parade floats and now has her Christmas Parade out. It will stay open until Christmas Day . Santa is still there at Macy’s store and there is still ice skating going on. I stopped over to see some of the floats which are as beautiful as ever. Don’t miss it! There is snow on the ground and the trees are glistening with ice formations on the limbs.

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Steamy%20Shores/72/206/700

Remember to visit The Christmas Expo. This event is raising money for research for the American Cancer Society and has so much going on!

There are parties and raffles and Breedables, sales and auctions, and so many shops with goodies to continue your search for décor and outfits.

If you get there before the ninth, you can enter the snowman (and snowwoman) making contest. The regions are beautifully decorated just for exploring.  

The Expo website at https://slchristmasexpo.com/  will tell you everything you need to know. This SURL will get you there : https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Christmas%20Expo/55/128/23

Also, the Shop and Hop event opens Wednesday at 9am . Get ready for so many shops in one place on 12 regions with 240 merchants. Extreme lag in the early days, but it will be open until January 2 of the new year. I am sure there will be gifts at most shops.

Gemma Cleanslate
 

RFL: Settlers of Hope And Fiona Fei's Ribbon Hunt

By Bixyl Shuftan

The theme of this year's Relay season was "Game On, Cancer." And at the Relay track this year, the camps often had a tribute to a game. Several of the camps had builds inspired by Monopoly, such as the Sunbeamers. And some had actual games such as the Second Life Cheerleading Squad's playable game inspired by Donkey Kong. Two I came across offered prizes for completing games. One was in RFL Encourage: "Settlers of Hope."

Sandie Loxingly told me that the game had been made by her Relay Team "Seekers of Hope." It was based off the board game "Settlers of Catan."

 I would come back later with an alt.  In this SL game, a player had to purchase the HUD for 100L.

 As one goes down the track, one clicks on the people next to the signs to get a resource. You only get one good per station. There's also several games on the track, such as this Bejeweled spinoff.

Usually you get the same kind of good as the station. But sometimes a different one will appear. If you prefer the usual kind, click on the person again once or twice again.

Besides the game, there was a little scenery to explore.

At the end of the course, click on the chest at the end to get a prize. What you get depends on what combination of the six resources you have. For instance, one of each will get you a "Gamer Signs Fatpack." But there are others. Trying a combination not mentioned in the notecard, what I got was a token prize. Oh well, next time.

Oh, and Sandie told me one can get an online version of "The Settlers of Catan" for free on Steam (link).

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/RFL%20Encourage/194/113/22

Of the sims, RFL Courage was a unique one, as it was designed by an artist.

Fiona Fei (Fionafei Resident) had designed the exhibit.

One place was meant to say "Pencil and paper games," which certainly described the sim.

Much of the place looked like landscape covered in various scribbling and simple games on paper.

But the place wasn't just scenery. There was also the "Black Ribbon Hunt."

 Clicking on the sign, one would get the first clue, and would find the eight others by finding the eight black ribbons in the sim.

 There were several tiny critters in the sim, that when clicked on would say something, occasionally offering a clue to finding a ribbon.

Some of the ribbons were clearly in plain sight, though others took me a while to find.

 A few of the ribbons had little gifts, such as this overhead, "Game on, Cancer!" (those in furry avatars, don't wear but add).

For getting all of the ribbons, the player gets a tiny "Toontoons" avatar. It seems to be one at random from a couple dozen, in my case getting a female panda.

There are of course more games in the rest of the sims, and a lot to explore. While some people have picked up their camps, there's plenty to look over. But not for long. Eventually the sims will be gone, so look around while you can.

Bixyl Shuftan