Announcement: No RFL Castle Home and Garden This Year, Postponed to 2019

Dear Relayers and CHGers,

We have faced a lot in the last four years. We have raised so much money, that every drop of sweat spent on the Castle Home and Garden contest was 110% worth it. Your builds, your designs and your support has been amazing.

We face several challenges this season, including Henrietta’s passing and Rowena being computer-less and hospital bound for a good amount of time. We are also without a website as Hilshire was owner of it and it poofed (Hilshire passed away as well). 

We have been told we can “scale down” the contest a bit along with other suggestions, but we are not going to scale down anything. With that being said, in order for the CHG to be as successful as it deserves to be, the Castle Home and Garden contest will be postponed to the 2019 season. The current sign ups and builds will remain as they are- if you are building, please don’t be discouraged- see this as just more time to perfect your build. 

2019 will bring us the 5th annual CHG... bigger and better than ever. Henrietta would kill us if we canceled so it is just a postponement for a little while longer.

Please excuse Rowena’s absence this year. He will be back better than ever ready to go for the Christmas Expo and, of course; the 2019 Relay season- which will bring us the 5th Annual CHG. 

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

-Sidonie and Rowena, CHG Chairs

Memorial Service For Relayers Henrietta and Hilshire Demina

Earlier this month, the captain of the Relay for Life in Second Life team Strange Journey and her real-life brother, Henrietta and Hilshire Demina, were killed in an auto accident. On Saturday January 27, numbers of her friends and supporters came by her virtual family's castle to pay their respects. It was a sad moment, but also one to look upon the happiness that they, particularly Henrietta, had brought to Second Life and the Relay.

Read more in Events.

Relayers Henrietta Demina and Hilshire Demin Killed in Accident

Rowena Dubrovna of the Relay for Life's Team Strange Journeys had some sad news today. Team leader Henrietta Demina and her brother Hilshire Demina were killed in a car accident. Plans are being made for a memorial service inworld, and a date will be announced soon. Rowena went on to talk more about these two valued residents whom will not be soon forgotten, putting her feelings down in an article sent to the RFL Volunteers group.

Read the Reader Submission in People.

Press Release: The 2017 Christmas Expo and Winter Breedables Fair Snowman Contest

Yes of course you want to join the the Snowman Contest, I knew that !
Now, you are now almost ready to go!

First step, pay a Vendor to claim a spot, entry fee is 350L$.

ATTENTION: unlike before, this year the vendors will not self-destruct.
Please make sure that you check the hover text above the vendor.

 Line 3 should read: This Vendor's sales: L$0

 That means this lot has not been taken. If the Line says: This Vendor's sales: L$350, someone has already picked that spot.

 But don't worry, just pick another one. Also, additional spots can be added.

After you paid the vendor, you can start building your snowman, or, if you already constructed it somewhere else, place it here.

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The rules are simple:

- You must stay within a limit of 30 prims (or rather...  Land Impact), exceeding that limit will result in point deduction

- Your snowman must be ready by the 6th of December (means, it must be in your building spot, judging starts December 7)

- Transfer perms are NOT required. That means you can use anything within the 30 LI to make your snowman pretty and unique , you may however not use a prefab snowman for obvious reasons. Create a unique scenery by adding your personal touch.
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The voting system:
Judges will vote in 3 categories and can give 15 points at a max.

But here is the clue... another 15 can be granted by popular vote. So make all your friends come and vote for your Snowman by donating to the kiosk right next to it. 

Points from jury and popular vote combined will decide the winner !

The Winner will be announced during the Holiday of Hope Ball on December 10th.

GOOD LUCK !

More Questions? Please ask Sidonie Carlberg or Rowena Dubrovna

Oxford Street (111, 249, 25)

Castle and Home and Garden Contest Opens

Yesterday, the Relay for Life spinoff event, the Castle, Home, and Garden Contest, officially began. Although taking place a little late this year, with it's time being after the Relay Weekend this means the event will get a little more attention from Relayers who miss the excitement and fun from earlier this month. Gemma Cleanslate has been getting a behind the scenes look at the show.

Read Gemma's story in Design.

Press Release: Fourth Annual Castle, Home, and Garden Contest

You all know how much the 4th Annual Castle, Home and Garden Contest means to us! With 63 merchants, 29 builds in the contest, and $L670,000 poised to go into kiosks of teams at the end of the contest, all of our hard work comes to this...

the FOURTH annual Opening Ceremony for the Castle, Home and Garden Contest! From 3pm-4pm we will have a speaker at Opening Ceremony, the Zaphara Cazalet Memorial Award and the official ribbon cutting.

We can't wait, and we hope to see you all there! Landmarks to come when sims are active.

You are invited to..
the OPENING CEREMONY
4th Annual Castle, Home and Garden Contest
63 merchants
29 builds
10 themes
http://www.chgrfl.org

Opening Ceremony
Sunday July 23rd 3-4pm SLT
Be there or the Otter will Cry

Thank you! :)
-The CHG Staff
Rowena Dubrovna and Henrietta Demina, Co-Chairs
Sidonie Carlberg, Entertainment Chair
Cuddly Waffle, Grace Devin, Mac Aries- Sim Designers
NinaSofia Constantine, Speed Build Organizer

Special Thanks to:
Nuala Maracas, Leala Spire, Grace Devin- Relay for Life ELT
Hope Walker/Stingray Raymaker, ACS Partners
All contestants and merchants involved with the CHG!

Reader Submitted: "I See You Relay"

From the Relay for Life Volunteers group. A close-up of Rowena Dubrovna, the adorable tiny otter who's become quite a big presence with the Relay for Life in Second Life these days.

Reader Submitted: Otter in the Office

While talking over the Relay for LIfe Volunteers group chat with Rowena Dubrovna, the tiny otter from the Relay's "Team Strange Journeys," during the chat, she piped, "Guess where I am?" Thinking the location would have something to do with me, and the easiest such place to find, I guessed, "The Newser office?" She then sent me this screenshot of her on the seat of the reception desk at our place in HV Community.

She should have guessed I "otter" be able to figure out where she was.

Bixyl Shuftan

Cartoon of the Day

Rowena Dubrovna stated if her Relay team passed a certain milestone, she'd wear a micro-sized gecko avatar for a week. Here she is at a Relay Rap as the small scaley, with Madonna Daehlie just behind her. Considering the most well-known gecko in popular media, the punch line was obvious.

Bixyl Shuftan

First Cross-Country Giant Snail Race of 2016 Takes Place

On Saturday March 19, the first  Cross-Country Giant Snail Race of the year took place. Close to a couple dozen contestants took part, including a few first-time snail racers. The theme of the event was "Circus," and a circus it was, with some of the avatars dressed up as clowns (including an evil clown), and even one snail modified to look like a seal balancing a ball.

The race took place across 45 sims on the Second Life mainland, starting at Abitibi and ending at the finish line in Noyo. The race included a few snags, among them lag, notably a spike near the begining of the race that temporarily ground progress to a halt and caused some people to crash, including RacerX. And there were the ban lines around some properties that required racers and onlookers running and flying to keep up with the action alike to run around when they bumped into one.

Still, it was a chance to see some scenery, such as a Steampunk-themed airship. And sometimes the road wasn't just a road, such as this bridge spanning a river.

The race was won by Oodlemi Noodle, whom took an early lead and kept on holding up, passing the finish line 42 minutes after the start of the race. Second Was BabypeaVonPhoenix Bikergirl, whom was just a minute behind. Third was notable Relay personality Rowena

Dubrovna.

Others who finished were: 4: Cinders Vale, 5: LittleAbs Residen, 6: Tindalla Soothsayer, 7: Catten Carter, 8: Lulce Babenco, 9: QueeniePromise Resident, 10: Alden Cortes, 11: Maryam Camino, 12: Henriette Demina, 13: Caleb Kit, 14: Starr Feame, 15: Masterperry Resident, 16: Cate Foulsbane, 17: Sidonie Carlberg, 18: Fukuju Amaterasu, 19: Lobbie Riggles, 20: Cally Hane, 21: Cool Plasma

Each of those who finished got at least a trophy. Following the race came the usualy dance at the end, along with a few jokes going back and forth.



(Click Here if the video fails to play)

RacerX soon make a video of the race, which can be shown here.

Bixyl SHuftan

Memorial Event For Zaphara Cazalet

All good things must come to an end. Sadly, the same applies to good people. Last week, it was discovered Zaphara Cazalet had passed away, and a memorial service was planned for that Friday. As Zaphara had been a fan of poems, poetry readings would be a feature of the service. And so a number of Relayers and other friends of hers came to pay their respects.

Read the story in People.

Announcement: Memorial Poetry Reading For Zaphara Cazalet

This FRIDAY at 1 pm SLT, Team Strange Journeys will be hosting a Memorial Poetry Reading for our teammate, friend and family member Zaphara Cazalet who passed away suddenly. We will hold the poetry reading in the castle that she designed last year. We will have kiosks out. We have three of Zaphara's passions- Relay for Life, building, and poetry- all in one night. Very fitting for Zaphara. Let us remember. LM to come out soon.

Thank you,

Rowena and TSJ

Announcement:" Fashion For Life Photo Contest March 6-18

Come one, come all! The swag bag is ENORMOUS- over 40,000 linden worth of prizes in the SWAG BAG for the winner! The rules are simple- buy something from Fashion for Life, then take a picture of you modeling it!

Judging happens March 18!

Photo Contest PARTAY March 19th 5pm!!!

MAKE THAT POSE!

Press Release: "Think Pink Thursdays"

Are you ready for MSABC...

Are you ready to fight breast cancer...?

LET'S DO IT!!!

MSABC Committee presents... THINK PINK THURSDAYS

To promote the awareness of breast cancer throughout Second Life, we are encouraging all users to proudly show a piece of pink clothing on their avatars, starting October 1st! Each week will have a different piece of clothing to be featured as pink. You can make your own pink clothing, or you can purchase from the Vendors at ACS Island! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/American%20Cancer%20Society/199/63/26

For three of the Thursdays the Committee will present an event with a DJ and a Contest of BEST IN PINK! The other two Thursdays, send Rowena Dubrovna a picture of you and your friends (full perm)  in pink! At the end of the season, a photo album and slide show will be presented!! Join us today!!

We encourage you to host your own events at venues on the two non Committee Thursdays- flaunt that pink!

First “Think Pink Thursday” event:

Thursday, October 1st- SHIRTS

MSABC Committee Presents International Pink

hosted by the Foundation

DJs from 2-4 and 4-6

BEST IN PINK CONTEST 4-6pm

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Foundation%20for%20Life/56/60/25

Press Release: Relay For Life Castle Contest

TEAM STRANGE JOURNEYS
Presents

2nd Annual CASTLE CONTEST in support of RELAY FOR LIFE OF SECOND LIFE

FIRST PRIZE: $L100,000 Linden
Second Place  Prize: $L50,000 Linden
Third Place Prize: $25,000 Linden
Fourth Place Prize: $10,000 Linden
Fifth Place Prize: $5,000 Linden
POPULAR VOTE CONTEST (Voted by the people)- First prize $L10,000
***ALL PRIZES WILL BE DONATED TO A RELAY FOR LIFE KIOSK, TOWARD GENERAL OR A TEAM OF YOUR CHOICE***

Last year, we had over 20 teams involved. We had about 15 castles. We had music, live events, contests, parties and tours! We also had a BID ME BALD in real life contest!!!

Sign up today to be involved with the 2nd annual castle contest! This is the preliminary sign ups. I know how it takes forever to make a castle to perfection, so sign up today and get started!!!

WHEN: June 13-20
WHERE: To be Determined
WHY: To Raise Money for Relay for Life


WHAT WE NEED...
*Castle Builders (please get an application from one of the people listed below, or from the notice in the RFL Volunteers group)
*Volunteers  (just IM me, will have a form when the event comes closer)
*DJs (just IM me, will have a form when the event comes closer)
*Hosts (just IM me, will have a form when the event comes closer)
*Home and Garden Builders (just IM me, will have a form when the event comes closer) (There will be a separate contest for homes and gardens, with prizes toward your teams)


***THERE WILL BE A 2nd ANNUAL CASTLE CONTEST WEBSITE OPENING SOON WITH MORE INFORMATION***


Thank you for all of your help!
Team Strange Journeys
Rowena Dubrovna, Captain
Sidonie Carlberg, Co-Captain
Cuddly Waffle, Co-Captain

Clowning Around For The Relay

Those taking part in the various Relay for Life events can often be accused of clowning around. Though last Saturday, the expression took on literal form with an offer by Rowena Dubrovna, the Captain of Team Strange Journeys, when they were helping out the Equstria team.

ROWENA IS A CLOWN!!!

Thanks to your donations of 3,000 linden plus to various kioss and getting Team Equstria RFL BRONZEEEEE,

Rowenda posted that she "must wear a clown outfit for an entire week!!" and , "Yes.. I will wear it at our event on Wednesday."