RFL Season Concludes

By Bixyl Shuftan

Wednesday June 30 was the last day of the 2021 Relay season, and the last the Relay kiosks were accepting donations. Usually there's an official "Relay Wrap-Up" event at the season's end in which the Spirit of Relay winners are announced. This year, the announcements were done at the "Sink the Sims/Flood Party." So no last event at the seasons end was scheduled. But the Relayers held one anyway. Their season total was already close to the highest they ever made, a couple thousand USD short of the $415,000  that was made in 2014. So they decided to hold one last, and unofficial, event, to beat the record.

Gem Sunkiller would post the following: 

You are the most dedicated group of individuals who are determined to change the world!
I know that we can make this season even more of a record breaker.....as one team unified.
If you are close to a kiosk, pitch in your loose change, but when you do that also ask a merchant or club owner for a donation.  We have until 11:59.59 PM SLT on June 30th, a little more than 24 hours to go.  We need 1641 USD .......  We can do this!  WE ARE RELAY!  LET'S GO!!!!!!!!!

 

So without any plan, people began gathering at the American Cancer Society sim. A kiosk was rezzed, and people began dancing away as Trader Whiplash was playing T-1 Radio for the Relay one last night. There was plenty of encouragement to donate in both the group chat and the Discord channel. Finally, Stingray Rainmaker announced the goal had been reached.

Congratulations to everyone involved in the American Cancer Society in Second Life for making our 2020-2021 fundraising year the most successful we've ever had in our 16-year history in the virtual world. This achievement is a testament to how strong our community is and how dedicated we are to funding the lifesaving mission of the American Cancer Society.

Every moment throughout this year, you've reached goals, set new goals, and reached them, ultimately leading to this moment where you've now set a new fundraising record in Second Life. Thank you all for being the passionate, competitive, proud, and unique cancer-fighting warriors that you are.

The total would continue to rise, eventually reaching  $417,122. The people would also continue to dance and congratulate each other for a job well done. Fireworks were going off over the sim. The partying would go on until shortly after 7PM SL time, with Trader Whiplash signing off for the last time this season, "Good night Relay."

After the event, the kiosks were turned off, and would show only off-season totals. On the website, the team totals page was redone so the 149 individual teams no longer showed. 

Three teams made Purple, (1) Relay Rockers - 5,204,852 L, (2) Camping for a Cure - 4,298,763 L, and (3) The River of Life - 3,768,844 L. Four teams made Diamond, (4) Cure Chasers - 2,857,661 L, (5) Aether Chrononauts Tiny Steps (ACTS) - 2,378,420 L, (6) Goreans in Relay for Life - 2, 145,225 L, and (7) Roos With A Dream - 1,815, 173 L. Two made Topaz, (8) Our New Paradise - 1,628,649 L and (9) Seekers of Hope - 1,569,633 L. Four teams made Emerald, (10) Cancer Gets Stung - 1,154,777 L, (11) Harmony of Hope - 1,121,385 L, (12) One More Light - 1,112,401 L, and (13) Sunbeamers - 1,013,871 L.

It was a big Relay season with many stories told, and some yet to be told. People are encouraged to share theirs with the Second Life Newser as reader submissions. As for the future, some are looking forward to Making Strides and the Christmas Expo. Others are looking forward to Feb 2022 for when the next Relay season begins.

Go Relay!

Bixyl Shuftan
 

News and Commentary: More Information on Team Diabetes' Question About Missing Money

By Bixyl Shuftan

After the apology came in, I thought that would be the last time I would write about the topic. But more people had something to say.

The issue started on December 31 When Team Diabetes posted on their blog that someone spammed their group chat saying his breedable group was doing an auction in which the proceeds would go to Team Diabetes. The Second Life charity was doing a fundraising event at the time with another breedables company at the time, so this may have caused a little confusion to the donors. While the man stated he had raised over 100,000 Lindens, about $400 USD, going to charity, Team Diabetes never got any of it, and asked people to start making inquires where the money went. The Newser talked to Vee Tammas Shocker (Veruca Tammas) of Team Diabetes, and was told Oenneo Resident was the one whom had spammed their group chat. I messaged him about the issue, but didn't get a response so went ahead and published the story on January 8.

The response was messages from Oenneo's partner at the time, LoriLynnGrimes Resident, some an outpouring of anger, and the more cordial one saying we should have contacted her and that the money had gone directly to the American Diabetes Association without going through Team Diabetes. I would also get two angry messages from supporters from her. As they were just minutes apart, I wondered if they were alts. Then later on Lori would send a note of apology to Team Diabetes, saying Oenneo confessed that the money never went to charity but to pay for a building, adding the breedables company she and "Neo" were in was dissolved along with their partnership and she planned to somehow make amends. But when the Newser wrote about her statement, she angrily responded that the message was intended to be private.

Some days later, I would get messaged by two people about the issue. One was a supporter of Lori, but in contrast to the earlier people whom were hostile, she made an effort to be friendly, though did ask to remain anonymous. She claimed Lori was no swindler but had been swindled herself by Neo and his supporters. She told me Lori was starting to pay the money to the American Diabetes Association over time in segments, though didn't have any proof as it would mean revealing her real-life identity.

I wasn't sure if this by itself warranted an update, telling her I probably wouldn't do one yet. Then later that evening I was contacted by Lady Digs Jewel (1x1x141 Digfoot). Digs told me she was the builder of the building mentioned in Lori's statement of apology, "The Ark." Lady Digs felt she was "dragged through the mud" by the insinuations she was involved in a charity fraud by association, "I did not receive embezzled funds, because it was paid for well before the event." She sent me a picture of a page of Oenneo's transaction history, which was dated several days before the incident with Team Diabetes and labeled "Final Payment for Ark."

She then told me Oenneo was there with her on the Ark, still under construction, and offered to TP me over. And so I was face to face with the man whom had caused Team Diabetes so much concern. Neo would only converse with me in voice, so the only records I had were the notes I managed to type. The bare-chested man claimed he never got my messages, saying his messages were likely capped, "I have only this to say, I never touched any of the funds. ... The Ark was paid for my money and my money alone."

When I asked about Team Diabetes saying he spammed their chat about his event, he at first told me, "That is completely false, that never happened. ...  I only IMed one person. ... I never spamed any chats, period." I then handed him a copy of the picture that had been earlier sent to me by Vee Tammas contradicting his story, showing he had messaged their chat. He then tried to backtrack, "I did send notices during the event ... but not the 100,000."

Later on, Digs would contact me again. We chatted for a while, and she stated she wasn't trying to imply that she thought I was unfair to her, only that the statement I published could be seen by some as implicating her. This wasn't my intention, and the evidence I've been shown points out she was paid before the incident in question.

I emailed Vee Tammas about the two contacts. She responded that even though the builder had evidence she was not involved in the incident, she felt there were no reasons to take either Oenneo or Lori at their word, "Neo" having been caught in a lie and Lori having a history of responding angrily when confronted and having no evidence of her wanting to make amends. While Neo might not have paid for the building with the money in question, he still collected it from Team Diabetes supporters.

The Newser has written about controversial topics before, such as Monkey Wonder and Voodoo's threats to the Greenzone group. But seldom has information kept coming in about one like this. So what happens next? Time will tell.

Bixyl Shuftan

Barbie Alchemi on Creations For Parkinson's

By Wesley Regenbogen

About Barbie Alchemi

Barbie Alchemi is the founder of Creations Park. She created this place with the help of her family, and holds events there for Team Fox, for the Michael. J. Fox Foundation. Her real life father died with Parkinson’s and one year later her mother was diagnosed with the disease as well. Her brother introduced her to Second Life about eight years ago and her mother spend more and more time in Second Life and it improved her real life by doing so. They were all so amazed that Second Life had a so positive influence on her real life management of the disease that they felt that they needed to do something positive with their time on Second Life. Her mother is 90 years old in real life now and she is still active in Second Life today!

Interview

I met Barbie Alchemi in Creations Park. First I asked how she got into Second Life and how she created Creations Park. The answer to that question is in the introduction above. Next I asked how the raise money fo the foundation in Second Life. They started to raise money and awareness for Parkinson’s disease. Over the last eight years they raised 10 Million Lindens ( over 40,000 USD ). In addition to raising donations, they have held a weekly support group, which is open to anyone with Parkinson’s.

This year they created a Gotham Halloween Event, which is held the whole month of October 2017. They have 75 shops with fashions and home and garden decorations. Barbie told me, "You can explore our Haunted House, Cemetery and Asylum with wonderful details and surprises at every turn. We have a fun Amusement Park with Halloween themed rides and also a Lil' Pumpkin Park for families to bring their children"

They will have a fabulous line-up of DJs and live singers. They will have three performances of the "Misfit Dance and Performance Art Troupe" at 5pm Oct 21, 28 and 29. There is a raffle and auction. And we have a terrific HUNT with original gifts in every shop for only 10L each!

Then I asked how the donations are done for the foundation. She replied to me “We believe it is very important for people in SL to know how their donations are handled. Our family covers all SL expenses. Team Fox has arranged to have LL to wire all donations and money raised directly to the Team Fox Headquarters. Visitors can donate at the cute Ghost Kiosks we have around the sim. And 50% - 100% of all shop sales are scripted to go to the official Team Fox Account.

"We are extremely proud to tell you that The Michael J Fox Foundation has the top rating from Charity Navigators. Team Fox gives 100% to The MJF Foundation. They have perhaps the lowest overhead of any major charity, at only 11% !!! Which means that 89% of Your donations are going into the most promising research. We are getting closer every day to a cure. And when that cure is found it will help lead to a cure for all other neurological diseases. “

Then I asked how she manages to create the sim and the decorations. She wanted to thank a few people for this, "This event could only be possible with our talented team who has worked so well together." She listed them as.

Rose Mikaelson (djroseathena)- Events for Parkinson's Coordinator

Nola Hellershanks- Events for Parkinson's Co-Coordinator

allιє pαrĸєr (swazeyrivers)- Event Music Coordinator

Miyushu Babii- Assistant Decorator

Ayesha - Solace Beach Estates (ayesha.lytton)- Amusement Park

Linden Labs- Region Sponsor

Then I asked her how she sees the future of the sim and the events she holds for the foundation. She told me, “ Gotham Island will be here for the month of October. Creations Park has been our permanent region for 6 years now. We will continue with the fabulous Shopping, Hunts, Music and on-going weekly fun activities which we all enjoy. Our Events for Parkinson's Team has some fun plans for another big event this Spring and more in the future!"

I thanked her for the interview and wished her luck with the sim and her events for the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

You can visit the place at this SLURL :

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Creations%20Park/93/166/36

Check out this video :

https://youtu.be/nyiiWxNguGo

Wesley Regenbogen