Spooky Strides RFL Fundraiser opens today!

Today I found myself at Spooky Strides' 2021 RFL Fundraiser. I'd gone because I've been finding a great many of my favorite haunts have closed up and withered away, but also, because Madori Linden was introducing the event.

But, I'm also finding the "HALLOWEEN 24/7 OF SL" group very helpful this year. And this is where someone let it slip that this event had just opened.

[13:30] Artemis (artemisutherwurldly): -`ღ´- ωεℓcσмε тσ тяαηcεscεη∂ιηg's вяεαsт cαηcεя ғυη∂яαιsεя 2021 ! -`ღ´-
[13:31] Madori Linden: hi! i am so glad to be able to be even a small part of helping with this event. ACS in SL has done some truly amazing things. Thank you all
[13:32] .: Madori Linden(Madori Linden): Every time I deliver a region I think about how many residents it reaches.
[13:32] .: Madori Linden(Madori Linden): hUGS ALL AROUND!
[13:32] Adam Spark: Hi everyone ㋡ hugs
[13:32] Artemis (artemisutherwurldly): Blake,
[13:32] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) smiles
[13:32] Artemis (artemisutherwurldly): HUGGGGS
[13:33] Nance Clowes: Thank You Ari for starting our kiosk off with that huge donation

She wasn't kidding. They *just* opened today, this hour, and the kiosk at the main stage is already at L$88,020.

[13:33] Artemis (artemisutherwurldly): 💝 тнαηк үσυ ғσя үσυя кιη∂ ∂σηαтιση
[13:33] Artemis (artemisutherwurldly): тσ тнε ηαтισηαℓ вяεαsт cαηcεя ғσυη∂αтιση! 💝
[13:33] Ari Spark (ariradel.bowenford): my pleasure Nance ㋡ hugs
[13:34] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Thank you all for attending and helping us support such a good cause
[13:37] Mocha Stone (mochamaster): applause
[13:37] Ari Spark (ariradel.bowenford): ★♡★❤★♡★ ~ A P P L A U S E ~ ★♡★❤★♡★
[13:37] Adam Spark: ***** APPPPPPPLLLLAAAUUUSSSSEEEEEEE***********
[13:37] Ari Spark (ariradel.bowenford): tysm Madori ㋡ hugs
[13:38] Nance Clowes: There aer so many people to thank for this event. THe most important ones are YOU
[13:38] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Thank you for your words. Madori [13:38] Nance Clowes: without all of us working together, with our itme, skills, and lindens, noen of this could happen
[13:39] Nance Clowes: Spooky Strides is here for one thing only. We want to raise another 2 million lindens in support of RFL / STRIDES
[13:39] Nance Clowes: we chose Halloween, because its extra fun in SL
[13:39] Nance Clowes: you'll find some special rides all around. and ot the norht of here, is a full entire sim specifically of halloween goodness to explore
[13:40] Nance Clowes: invite your friends. bring groups for a good time
[13:40] Nance Clowes: and help us all work together, to be together against Breast Cancer
[13:40] Nance Clowes: back to you, Venus
[13:41] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Hello Everyone , Nance come stand up here with me :)
[13:41] Nance Clowes: alright alright. its hard ot be behind the scenes form up front

Boy, do I hear that. Much more confident working the panels behind the curtains. :D

[13:41] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): I would like to start out by saying.. for many years in my life I have supported the American Cancer Society and what they do.
[13:43] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): I have had relatives friends and even partners in my life that are no longer onthis plain with me due to it. I truly feel the need to support research for a cure.
[13:43] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): I would like to thank My builders,and fellow staff for such a phenomenal job on getting this set up for us to have.
[13:44] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): So one moment because one of the speakers is on and I want to bring her :)
[13:46] Holger Gilruth: IF YOU MAKE INWORLD SNAPSHOTS I WOULD LOVE TO GET A COPY OF IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH

So, see the end note for this one, but this is why there aren't pictures accompanying this entry.

[13:47] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): This is our 1st event and I hope to have many more.. ALso, we will be handing the voice or text over to the speakers here and they will be telling their stories.. After taht we will have a little opening ritural and start the walk so stay tunned. Nance need to open this party. are you ready to open up our event!
[13:48] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Thank you all!
[13:48] Nance Clowes: Lets DO that
[13:49] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Yay Azdra just in time! SAandie please take the floor!
[13:49] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): omglag typos are the worse
[13:49] Nance Clowes: the orange tent to everyones right, has a schedule for all the entertainers, wrestlers, drama acts, and MORE for this whole week
[13:50] Sandie Slate (sandie.loxingly): Hello everyone and thank you for having me, my name is Sandie Slate and I am the Hope Haven Services Lead for the American Cancer Society in Second Life.
[13:50] Sandie Slate (sandie.loxingly): I myself am a 2x cancer survivor (cervical and uterine) and a too many times cancer caregiver.
[13:51] Holger Gilruth: Gratulation
[13:51] Sandie Slate (sandie.loxingly): I don’t remember a time that I wasn’t aware of cancer in some form. A couple of years before I was born my great-grandmother died of breast cancer, so it was already in the fabric of my world before I was.
[13:51] Blake Coverdale (blake1111coverdale): clap clap clap
[13:51] Sandie Slate (sandie.loxingly): The first time I saw the effects of cancer myself was just after I turned 16 and my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and I instantly became one of her caregivers.
[13:52] Ari Spark (ariradel.bowenford): big hugs Sandie
[13:52] Sandie Slate (sandie.loxingly): My grandmother chose to have a mastectomy and spent several weeks recovering in bed at home. I will never forget the drain tubes and when it was time to change the dressing. I would get squeamish so helping with that was not one of my duties.
[13:52] Sandie Slate (sandie.loxingly): I pitched in by checking in every morning before school and then in the afternoons I would go to her house to clean, cook supper, and do any odd household chores.
[13:53] JL HARDING (jeanluc11): hello everyone
[13:53] Sandie Slate (sandie.loxingly): I know she had to have been in a lot of pain, especially following the surgery, but she never complained. My grandmother was a survivor in every spirit of the word. She did not let cancer take anything from her.
[13:53] Blake Coverdale (blake1111coverdale) waves to JL Harding
[13:53] Sandie Slate (sandie.loxingly): When she passed away (not from cancer) she was a 21-year breast cancer survivor. She taught me so much over the years and I am grateful she trusted me as a teenager to be part of her care team - even though at the time we were just family taking care of family.
[13:54] Sandie Slate (sandie.loxingly): As the years went by following my grandmother’s breast cancer diagnosis and treatments, others close to me also faced breast cancer - a great aunt on my mother’s side, two aunts on my father’s side, my mother-in-law, two sisters-in-law, plus countless friends in both RL and SL. Sometimes it seems I am surrounded.
[13:55] JL HARDING (jeanluc11): I SENT IT TO YOU ON MOTECARD

This might be a wrong window? But I'm not editing this one, not even names, because--I think it's that important to preserve. So.

[13:55] Sandie Slate (sandie.loxingly): But that is why we fight back each in our own way and why supporting the American Cancer Society is so critical. The Society gives us weapons and helps us improve them, so maybe one day when someone hears the words “You have cancer” they are part of stories from long ago.
[13:56] Sandie Slate (sandie.loxingly): Thank you all for your support of Making Strides and the American Cancer Society and have a great event!
[13:56] Nance Clowes: Thanks Sandir
[13:56] Nance Clowes: SandiE
[13:57] Nance Clowes: that is so touching
[13:57] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Thank you So much Sandie
[13:57] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Azdra you have the floor now :)
[13:57] Nance Clowes: I know weveryone here can relate to what you said
[13:57] Azdra: Hello Everyone
[13:57] Azdra: My name is Azdra...and I'm a fighter and survivor...3 time Breast Cancer.
[13:58] Azdra: I also have fibrocystis. I had no idea what it meant with my diagnosis of fibrocystis, but found out that I have very dense tissue in my breasts.
[13:58] Azdra: I was first diagnosed in May 2014. I had a lumpectomy and went through chemo and beat it...or so I thought. [13:58] Azdra: It came back in 2017, hitting the other breast. Again I had a lumpectomy and underwent chemo...beat it again.
[13:58] Azdra: It returned again, attacking again in 2020. I underwent chemo again, ended up having another non cancerous lump aspirated.
[13:59] Azdra: I went back to the doctor a month ago...there was a new lump. A week later...another one had shown up. Two weeks later, after dealing with the first two...I went back to the doctor to talk about surgical options...and there was another lump.
[13:59] Azdra: On the advice of my doctors, I am undergoing a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction in early November. [13:59] Azdra: To everyone, men and women...please make sure you get checked out. I have been lucky. Mine was detected early.
[14:00] Azdra: Each of us is touched and have had people we love touched by this monster. It is with the help of the ACS and other groups like it that we are able to fight and live to tell our stories.
[14:00] Azdra: Thank you
[14:00] Nance Clowes: Thank You Ari for that kind donation! We may yet raise 100,000 lindens before opening !
[14:01] Holger Gilruth: Thank you Azdra
[14:01] Ari Spark (ariradel.bowenford): big hugs Azdra
[14:01] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Nance you are up.. Thank you Azdra for your story, it was very inspirational to know that someone can survive and beat cancer so much! Thank you again
[14:01] Nance Clowes: my story is just super tame, almost embarassing even
[14:01] Nance Clowes: nobody in my family ever had cancer
[14:01] Nance Clowes: nobdoy i knew ever had cancer
[14:02] Nance Clowes: it was just this ~thing~ way out there
[14:02] Nance Clowes: First time i ever saw people workgin against it, was 12 years ago here in SL
[14:02] Nance Clowes: at the time, hundreds and hundreds of people were workign with RFL, to do a giant snail race across SL
[14:03] Nance Clowes: i thought that was pretty cool. it got RFL and cancer fighting on my radar
[14:03] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): I was an announcer for snails :P
[14:03] Nance Clowes: many many years went by, til about 5 years back RFL asked me if I owuld help a little
[14:03] Nance Clowes: sure, of course I would. I did little things, concerts, building, whatever
[14:04] Nance Clowes: i was just doign a tiny little something
[14:04] Nance Clowes: then this year though
[14:04] Nance Clowes: in July doctors foudn it IN me
[14:04] Nance Clowes: i wasnt stressed. i had been around RFL and survivors. and I know theres HOPE always
[14:05] Nance Clowes: within 2 hours of daignosis RFL was helping me with information, and introducing me to survivors of the same type cancer, so I knew what was coming
[14:05] Nance Clowes: i was more impressed with RFL helping me than doctors
[14:05] Nance Clowes: what goes on here in SL, and with RFL, it has real world results. this isnt a game
[14:06] Nance Clowes: i was incredibly lucky. my cancer came back as the tiniest weakest little almost nothign there can be [14:06] Nance Clowes: and in Decemeber they will look again, but most likely am cancer free. 20 years ago that might not have been. 40 years ago for sure not. The money that goes into research helps EVERYONE with this
[14:07] Nance Clowes: and now, Venus has something extra special for us before we officially open.
[14:07] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Thank you for sharing that Nance
[14:07] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): and Also Sandie and Azdra for sharing your stories.
[14:08] Holger Gilruth: thank you for sharing this personal things
[14:08] .: Madori Linden(Madori Linden): ty all for sharing
[14:08] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Holger will be putting a box out and you can grab your own kiosk if you like and help us support spooky strides with donations with your own kiosk.. and I would like everyone to please back off the stage so we can put down the ritual circle

I grabbed a small wall one. I'll be putting it either in Redshift or in the rec room of Tannhauser Gate.

[14:09] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): so we can open the ceremony with a little ritual..
[14:09] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): but please take a kiosk out of the box
[14:09] Nance Clowes: yopu should be at least this far back if you dont want to be pumpkin squished

The organizers had sort of a pop-up ritual space thing, that rezzed out an altar, stones, and a fire in the center of the dance space Most of us backed up to the far path, but the few that didn't had to suddenly climb over stones and wood.

[14:09] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): adam and ari and Madori pleaes go off the stage )
[14:10] .: VєηυŞ(Venus Amore): OK eeryone I would like Nance Holger an Artemis to take place on the stage under the 3 laps not by the altar
[14:11] .: VєηυŞ(Venus Amore): and you have your parchment with your part of this.. :)
[14:12] .: Holger Gilruth(Holger Gilruth): sit here is fine?
[14:12] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): you need to stand under a lamp
[14:12] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Artemis come stand under a lamp
[14:12] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): and Ill go last :P
[14:12] Nance Clowes: 555 more lindens and we have our first 90,000 raised !
[14:13] Nance Clowes: Thank You Woofie and Ari !! YOU GUYS have DONE it !
[14:13] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): JL will be streaming for htis and our walk
[14:13] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): so change your music when the stream changes
[14:14] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Now I am at the north side.. and East is Holger so Holger goes then Nance then Artemis on the west and then me.. so Holger you can start..
[14:14] Holger Gilruth: start with?
[14:14] Nance Clowes: our boots are walking, holgar !

And then the worst happened--in trying to get out of the shots, I clicked too close to the altar set, and suddenly was sitting in place. I quickly left, believe me. Utterly mortified.

[14:15] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Terribly sorry, I was trying to get OUT of the way, not further in it
[14:16] Holger Gilruth: We welcome the gifts of air and the Eastern quarter. May your blessings of awareness and clarity uplift those faced with breast cancer! May your gifts of intellect and expertise guide the hands and hearts of those responsible for diagnosis and treatment. May you surround those who love and support survivors with insight and understanding. We honor and celebrate your presence with us all on our individual journeys as we strive to learn and grow!
[14:16] Nance Clowes shouts: We welcome the gifts of fire and the Southern quarter. May your blessings of courage and determination empower those faced with breast cancer! May your gifts of daring and determination guide the hands and hearts of those responsible for diagnosis and treatment. May you surround those who love and support survivors with tenacity and fearlessness. We honor and celebrate your presence with us all on our individual journeys as we strive to learn and grow!

I donated since I was next to the kiosk, and then set up the next couple of shots.

[14:16] .: Nance Clowes(Nance Clowes): Emily ! THANK YOU
[14:17] .: Artemis(ArtemisUtherwurldly Resident): Father of goodness and love, hear our prayers for the sick members of our community and for all who are in need. Amid mental and physical suffering may they find consolation in your healing presence. Show your mercy as you close wounds, cure illness, make broken bodies whole and free downcast spirits. May these special people find lasting health and deliverance, and so join us in thanking you for all your gifts. We ask this through the Lord Jesus who healed those who believed. Amen.
[14:17] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): At the Northern stone (earth- green):

We welcome the gifts of earth and the Northern quarter. May your blessings of recuperation and peace ground those faced with breast cancer! May your gifts of endurance and determination guide the hands and hearts of those responsible for diagnosis and treatment. May you surround those who love and support survivors with tranquility and a strong foundation. We honor and celebrate your presence with us all on our individual journeys as we strive to learn and grow!
[14:17] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Lord and Lady, Father and Mother, Great Guides and Guardians from whom all life flows and to whom all life returns, we welcome you and ask your blessings. May those faced with breast cancer feel your unyielding love. May those trusted to diagnose and treat embrace your infinite knowledge. May those who love and support survivors be blanketed in your immense wisdom. We honor and celebrate your presence with us all on our individual journeys as we strive to learn and grow!

So mote it be!

So mote it be.

[14:18] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Thank you all for your participation now we will walk around the sim please feel free to donate.. to this great cause!
[14:18] VєηυŞ (venus.amore): Ladies Nance, Sandie and Azdra come lead the way
[14:21] .: Artemis(ArtemisUtherwurldly Resident): 💝sυρρσят тнε ғιgнтεяs,
[14:21] .: Artemis(ArtemisUtherwurldly Resident): 💝αмιяε тнε sυяvιvσяs,
[14:21] .: Artemis(ArtemisUtherwurldly Resident): 💝яεмεмвεя тнε тαкεη,
[14:21] .: Artemis(ArtemisUtherwurldly Resident): 💝sтαη∂ αgαιηsт вяεαsт cαηcεя,
[14:21] .: Artemis(ArtemisUtherwurldly Resident): 💝αη∂ ғιgнт ғσя α cυяε!

And, now the why I'm not putting pictures into this entry--one of the event organizers sent a word out in main chat--you can see it up there in bold--about any in-world pictures, send him a copy, and as I was taking (off-world) pics at the time, I said would Flickr do? He said sure. So I ended up with thirty pics from the event, and a new album.

It's two sims of haunted goodness, they accept donations of any level, they just want to share the spooks and the fun. Indulge if you get a chance. And donate. Every Linden really does help.