... real heroes don't need any firepower, but the stance to help the beaten ones, support the weak and fight for a better future and finally the will to bring joy and happiness to the world we're living in ...

Fay

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=11450

If you're interested in donating to Relay For Life of Second Life please click on the link above.  We sure would love to have your support.

Thank you Jerry for getting this site up and running for us. You rock!

Fay

I was working at the Relay workshop and in the middle of a conference call when a new person stopped by.  He had heard of Relay and wanted to "check it out".  I was kinda half - heartedly listen to him, twiddling with a poster, and participating in the call when I realize what he had said:  I WANT TO LIVE, MAY I RELAY?

"EEEEKKKKKKKK REWIND! 

He had found out three days ago that he had cancer of the lungs and a spot on his liver, he was scared, alone, and he had come to Relay!  He had come to find us!   I immediately knew I was over my head. what with the conference call and all.  I rapidly put out a call to my fellow survivors, "Is anyone free to speak with a man who just found out three days ago he has lung cancer and a spot on his liver.  I am on a conference call and not able to give him the attention he deserves? On ACS island Relay workshop." Now here is where I get the goose-bumps! 

My friend and RFL of SL Survivor Chair, Poppy Zabelin who lives in Denmark but is from the UK, grabbed me for a few minutes this morning to let me know she couldn't make the planning committee meeting. We were talking about the "Thumbing  Your Nose at Cancer" fundraiser and that our committee was to be shot this morning.  We were laughing and talking about what fun it would be and what a good attention-getter it was when Poppy mentioned that I should read her blog entry for today.  OH MY GOODNESS!  When I read her entry I burst out squeeling!  What a Kick Off / Launch Party idea!  Talk about increasing attendance. CRUK ( Cancer Research United Kingdom) is on to a serious attention-getter here I think, see if you agree with me, http://poppyzabelin.blogspot.com/ . 

*smiling* Though our ACS Community Rep would go goofy if he  even thought we might be considering such a thing (and we aren't Randy!  PG all the way) but it is fun to read and see how our brothers and sisters in the fight find unique and original ways to bring forth cancer awareness. 

This is just the neatest fundraiser idea and just as doable (is that a word?) in real life as Second Life. My sister, Tay, also the Teams Chair for our Relay, passed me a note about this fundraiser our friend, Clio, was  organizing and the more I read, the more I giggled, and thought how much fun it would be to participate. It was a major belly laugh too, as Jed (my husband) and I posed for the pictures and made faces at each other and Clio.  (picture below) 

We tried something a bit different this year in an attempt to take the edge off those Relayers ready to go and yet have time to train participants. We decided to have a Kick Off (it was last Sunday) and then a Launch Party 30 days later.The Kick Off Party was to say "HEY! WE ARE BACK IN TOWN AND LOOKING FOR YOU". Then for the next 30 days the Team Chairs intend to heavily recruit and train the team captains and the Team Captains will use the time to recruit members and supporters in-addition to planning their fundraising activities. No fundraising at this time, just recruiting and planning (Like I don't know they are fundraising and squirreling it away for when we start ! Gotta love it!). 30 days later we have the Launch Party and this activity is actually a party to say "READY OR NOT HERE WE COME! FUNDRAISNG BEGINS". So first we crawl and then we RELAY!

Relay For Life of Second Life seems to have a life of it's own, even in advertising itself.  There is so much energy for and discussion of RFL of SL that we have the pleasant issue of guiding that energy and discussion in the directions it is needed most. But, even with this energy and discussion we do find a need to advertise now and again. 

We don't want to leave a soul out of the loop and  especially right now when we are holding a contest to have a new donation kiosk designed for RFL of SL. The energy just won't carry the "news" far enough in our humble opinion, and to be awarded the honor of designing the look of this tool that actually funnels every cent donated in SL to ACS is a huge honor and an opportunity we want to offer to all in SL.  So we looked to advertise.  Maybe not the best idea we have ever had but certainly not the worse by far. We were offered and accepted an in-kind donation of advertising space for this contest  from a generous businessman. We were so pleased with ourselves as we stood looking at the ad for the first time.  We were HOT! 

As soon as I figure out how to get last years posts moved so this years post can be read, I will get this blog up and rolling with tidbits from the gearing up of Second Life's (SL) 2008 Relay For Life.  Some of our other chair persons are going to post pictures of our virtual Relay, you might want to see if you can find them.   Anyway, stick with me and I promise, I  will stop trying to chew gum and type at the same time; then I will be able to figure this out!

Fighting Next to You,

The name of this event get's longer every time I think of it but - it was one awesome party. Seaway Brodsky and her sister, Mystic, captain / co-captain of the Dixie Rebel Relayers wanted to "do" something to demonstrate that even though the teams have a friendly competion going on as to which teams would raise the most money; they were all still fighting the same cause and supporting each other in doing it. Being that in Second Life we had decided to fundraise for six months and we were 3 months to Relay ,the, "Halfway There Fair" was born and with the guidance of Wenchie and Chantal (two amazing relayers in their own right) everything with off smoothly. Thank yous are due to so many people and I would hate to miss anyone, SL takes fighting cancer very serious and everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) jumps in to give of their skill, time, money, whatever they have to offer...it gives me goosebumps to think of it. Randy? Trish? Jump in here and help me explain...