Press Release: "Autism Australia" Taking Place Saturday Dec 13, Dec 20

 

 ## Second Life Charity Event Raises Funds for Australian Children with Autism

**Second Life, Virtual World** — Evolution Australia proudly announces a special charity event in Second Life, raising funds to support Australian children with Autism through **Shine for Autism**.

This community-driven event brings together DJs, hosts, volunteers, and residents from across Second Life for an inclusive celebration of music, connection, and giving. All funds raised will directly support programs and services for children with Autism in Australia.

Participants can support the cause in several easy ways:

* **Donate Lindens**: Click and pay the **big blue “Shine for Autism” donation signs** located at the back of the stage.
* **QR Code Donation**: Scan the QR code on-site to be taken directly to the Shine for Autism website.
* **Website Donation**: Touch the information sign to receive a notecard with the Shine for Autism website link. Navigate to **Donate** and contribute as normal.

Every contribution—big or small—makes a difference.

 

* **FREE Car and Aircraft Raffles** will be held during the event.
* Entry is limited to **200 people**.
* Participants must wear the **AutAusEvoEvent group tag** to be eligible.

## 🎉 Most of All… Have Fun

This event is about community, music, and making a real-world difference. Whether you’re donating, DJing, volunteering, or just dancing—thank you for being part of something meaningful.

**Together, we can shine a light on Autism and support Australian children who need it most.**

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hartford/230/18/22

 

"A Child’s Journey Through Cancer: The Musical"

 

The "I Pink I Can" fundraiser to help raise money to combat breast cancer is over. While it took place, there were a number of events. Among them was a stage play done by Patty Flow with the help of a number of other Relayers: "A Child's Journey Through Cancer: The Musical." Yours truly attended. So how did it go?

Read the story in Events.

 

Linden Lab Updates Terms of Service, Child Avatars Completely Barred From Adult Sims, Now Need "Modesty Layer"

 

Yesterday on Thursday May 2, residents logging in were told they would have to read and sign an updated Terms of Service. At the same time, there was an announcement in the official blog, "Enhancing Our World Together: Important Updates For The Second Life Community."

 

Our priority has always been to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for all while preserving the freedom of expression that makes our virtual world so special. That’s why we’re working to further enhance the safety and protection of the Second Life platform. These efforts include strengthening some of our community and employee policies as well as evaluating improvements to our age verification process. 

One area of ongoing scrutiny both internally and externally concerns child-presenting avatars. We recognize and want to acknowledge the vibrant community of residents who enjoy roleplaying as such, and we also feel that it is crucial to reinforce our stance that sexualized ageplay is strictly prohibited. Today, we are updating our Child Avatar Policy to ensure a clear separation and to safeguard all community members. We know that this update has the potential to cause confusion or concern in our community, so we’ve prepared an FAQ which we will continue to update as questions come up.

 

As before, actions of a sexual nature between adult and child avatars (which includes teens and "tweenagers") is strictly forbidden, and will result in being banned. And as before, child avatars are  barred from places that are a clearly adult nature. Also, content intended for child avatars, and this includes teens and "tweens", cannot be of a suggestive manner. There were two additions that are likely to draw at least a few complaints. One was that child avatars cannot enter any sim rated Adult, even if the area itself has no sexual or violent or anything else clearly adult around. Also, the way child avatars are made has to change. While under the old policy genitals were not allowed, under the new one this isn't enough. Even if nothing "bad" shows, child avatars cannot appear nude at all and now need a "modesty layer" in their skin, "Child avatar content creators are required to add a modesty layer which is baked into child avatar skins or bodies, is not transparent, does not match the skin tone, and may not be removed."

 

The Lab did state, "Merely having a childlike avatar does not violate this policy. It is not our intent to banish childlike avatars in and of themselves." This likely means tiny avatars. 

Later that day, one Relay event would he affected. The Sunbeaver Moon Dance takes place in one of the community sims, and a few years ago, the sim rating had been changed to Adult out of worries that Linden Lab would boot consenting adult avatars from activity done behind closed doors. So when Purple Tears' team captain, Wateru Kohime, showed up, he had to change. 

"So stupid," he would later tell me, "Everyone on an adult sim is supposed to be over 18, who cares what we look like? I could be a dwarf that looks exactly like myself but has a big beard and that's perfectly fine, but shave my face and suddenly I have to go?

"I think the way it was before was perfectly fine. Child avatars are okay on an adult sim as long as nothing 'adult' is going on. That's basically what they want to prevent, so as it stood, the rules already prevented it. Like most rules/laws, it only really affects the people that follow them. The people that want to go and break the rules are still going to go and break the rules."

There is a thread in the official forums about the ToS changes. Reading the first five pages, on the whole, people approved of the changes. One poster would comment, "Think it's Linden Lab just covering their you-know-what.  A lot of people are so sensitive on things nowadays.  As a business owner (a bar) I've noticed how the clientele has changed over the years. I've seen some patrons joking and one threatened a lawsuit on the other.  Old times they would laugh it off.  Same thing here. The Lab has to deal with much more regulation stuff then when Philip started the Lab eons ago." One other person wondered if a few venue owners might start booting out everyone who was short or of a certain body type without checking profiles. A third pointed out because some were tired of reading such a long list of ToS without a clue of what changed and what didn't, the Lab needed to make double certain word was getting around. A fourth worried some might try to abuse the rules, "I can easily see these rules being weaponized by bad actors who have a grudge against, say, anime-style avatars."

What do you the readers think? Please comment below.

Bixyl Shuftan

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 

Saturday April 27

    ~*~

    

    At 10 AM PST   

    How Can We Best Support Highly Intelligent Children/Students In Our Education System

    Organized by Chantal Jager

    https://www.sciencecircle.org/event/highly-intelligent-students/

    The Science Circle (72,129,30)

      

    ~*~

 

    

    NOTE: Non-members required to register once

    IM Jes Cobalt or Nymf Hathaway

╚══════════════════════════════ The Science Circle (72,129,30) ═╝

 

Fantasy Faire's "Children of Stories" Roleplay Finalle

 

 

 Of of the activities in the Fantasy Faire is the Children's Roleplay, done by the "Children of Stories." This year marks the tenth such roleplay, and the one for 2023 incorporated characters from the previous nine, "The Children of Stories And The Secrets of Flambois." Characters from the nine groups found lanterns that requested their help, summoning them to the Fairlands Academy of Magic, at Flambois. Some of the children were eager to accept the invitation to enroll. Others were hesitant, wondering if there was something not so innocent going on. And over the next several days were a series of roleplay sessions, in which the story came about, gradually revealing what was going on and what was needed to do about it. There was a witch up to no good, and it turned out she had the help of some dark entity, the details which can be revealed on the Daily Update page (here).

 

 

On Sunday April 30, the finale of the roleplay took place in the Fairlands Junction sim. The characters were ready to confront the evil witch and get rid of her once and for all, "Lets do this!" "... for we have all been touched by the Unweaver .. we will show him what for!!" "Be prepared though, once we have the witch trapped here, there is no telling what will happen!" "Ready your spells children!!!"

 

The event was turned into a party with DJ Madonna playing the music. Over time, tens of thousands of Linden dollars were donated, some people offering to match large amounts, "I will match the first 5,000L donation made." There were also avatars of all shapes and sizes, some getting comments, "OMG those tiny kitten wearing mushrooms outfits are the CUTEST THING ever seen!!!" And there were comments about the event, "watches that kiosk jump, cause this is the power of the children!! NOTHING CAN STOP THEM!!!!"

 

 (Click here if the video does not play)

 Loki Eliot would post a video of the confrontation with the witch, and the greater dark force revealed. At the very end, there was an unexpected surprise.

 

The total amount raised that day exceeded 500,000 Linden dollars.

Go Relay! 

Bixyl Shuftan

Linden Sighted at "Feed a Smile"

 

On Wednesday February 17, the Lavender Field at "Feed a Smile" got a certain visitor at one of their events: a Linden. Simon Linden had dropped by. 

Jed Luckless was playing the music. Moondance Resident was doing some particle effects. So the place was a big laggy. Yours truly (through an alt) didn't stick around long.

"Feed a Smile" helps out children in the country of Kenya in Africa. A donation of 100L is enough for a meal. But they also help out with education and medical care. The location in Second Life frequently holds charity events to help raise money.

For more information, check out their blog at - http://feed-a-smile.blogspot.com/ or their website at - http://leben-lernen-kenia.org/

Feed A Smile/54/141/23

Bixyl Shuftan

Announcement: Toys For Tots Donation Drive Total

December 26, 2020

TOYS FOR TOTS 2020 FINAL COLLECTION NUMBERS !

Merry Christmas Happy Holidays To All !

Thanks to all of you, we have all pitched in and
help make this Christmas a better one for many
underprivileged children.

This year was a very successful Toys For Tots
Donation Drive For us here in Second Life. I want
to thank all of you for your efforts and support.

We have collected a Grant Total of: $2,022,318L
Which Equates to = $8,098.00 US
Process Credit Fee = $283.00 US
With Draw Fee From Second Life = $405.00 US
Which Gives Us A Total  Of = $7,410,00 US

Kickazz Audio Stream Rental Donated an
additional $1090.00 US to round out a donation
Total of $8500.00 US

Yea Us !  High 5's All Around.

TOP THREE DONATION COLLECTORS
517650    Chuck Clip 

207534    Yazhu Ichibara

170090    TheCowb0y Resident -

There is no way to put into words how thankful
and appreciative I am of all of you. Smile, and
feel proud of the smiles you helped create !

A special thank you goes out to two individuals,
that year after year work hard to help make
our drive successful. Thank you, Steffi Spires
and CherryBlossum Garnet !

REMEMBER:
“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us;
what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.”
― Albert Pike

Thank all of you again,
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year,

Jayson Marjeta

Toys For Tots Donation Kiosks

 

For Christmas, poor families often have a hard time getting presents to their kids. But there are charities that can help. Among them is Toys For Tots, an organization set up by the US Marine Reserves. Here in Second Life, Kickazz Shoutcast Stream Rental is doing a Toys For Tots drive. The company has pledged that all money donated will go to the charity, and is willing to match the first $1000 USD.

Those wanting to take part in the drive can head to Lorii Caproni Island and take copies of one or both of the kiosks there by "buying" it for zero Lindens. Set it where you want, then "when you set it out, you will be asked permission to take money from you. This is because of how the Kiosk works. A donation is made to the Kiosk, you are the Kiosk owner, the Donation goes to you, the amount donated is then transfered from you to ToysForTots Resident.  The exact amount donated, not a penny more or less."

The kiosk is copyable and transferable, so you can give friends copies of it to take part in the drive too. They are good until December 24, 6PM, when the charity drive comes to an end. Among the places taking part is the Happy Vixen beach club.

 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lorii%20Caproni%20Island/106/55/22

 

Moonlight Ducklings, A Daycare In Second Life

You may or may not have heard about SL kids, residents in child avatars whom go about as kids in Second Life. Often, they're part of roleplay families with adopted parents. But what happens when the parents don't have a lot of time? Marcel Mosswood recently interviewed the owner of Moonlight Ducklings Daycare, a place that offers "fun and safety" for the young children of virtual families.

Read Marcel's story in Extra.

Feed A Smile

With the Holidays and their themed shopping hunts behind her, Shava Denver has been looking for other things to write about. She quickly did when finding out about a charity: Feed A Smile. For those who don't know, Feed A Smile is a charity that provides food for children in Kenya, in addition to building a school. Events supporting the charity are held at Lavender Field, but there's also an art exhibit that supports the charity.

Read Shava's article in People.

Christmas Giving Tree and Sponsor an SL Child for the Holidays

The holiday season is almost over. But before we close the door on it,  Alura Denver (Alura Messing) was researching and interviewing about a Christmas event aimed at Second Life child avatars. For those whose inworld families are unavailable due to being out of town or otherwise wrapped up in real life, the Grid can be a lonely place for SL kids during the Holidays. So the owner of the Sweet Tots store got together with Crystalle Qork and came up with the first annual "Giving Tree and Sponsor an SL Child" event.

Read Alura's story in People. 

"Thank You Any1 Gynoid"

Remember when we reported on Any1's rezzday party on July 22, which she turned into a benefit for "Feed a Smile?"  Well, a few days later on July 28, she got this picture from the school where the charity does it's work, thanking her for the fundraiser, "Thank you Maggie and all of the wonderful singers musicians and guests who made this meal possible. Asantesana from the LLK kids from Live and Learn in Nakuru Kenya."

The schoolchildren are on a two week summer break, so the first of Any1's meals will be on August 14th.

Picture from Any1 Gynoid

IW Video: "InWorldz Winter Fest 2016"

(Click Here if the video fails to play)

From Ben Vennegoor on Dec 7, "Impression of the official InWorldz Sponsored Event Fall Fest 2016.
Benefit for Toys 4 Tots."  http://www.inworldz.com

Brand new video from the Tuna Bandit showcasing our gorgeous Christmas Year End Event for Toys for Tots! We have tons of events going on for it, and will be posting them as we go! Stop in today! http://places.inworldz.com/InWorldz%20Events%20A Register at http://inworldz.com! It's free and fun!

Toys 4 Tots Kiosk at Furry Fashion

Furry Fashion is getting into the Christmas spirit a little early. At a recent event, I heard one of their staff go, "I would like to announce something if I may. This year we are taking donations to help out Toys 4 Tots. there is an area that you can donate L$ right outside of the lounge."

Toys 4 Tots is a fairly well known charity in the United States, "The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help less fortunate children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation’s most valuable resources – our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future."

You can find the Toys 4 Tots kiosk at Furry (159, 200, 113) The Lindens will be donated to the charity on Dec. 24th

For more information about Toys for Tots, check out their website at http://toysfortots.org/ .

Press Release: 7th Annual Toys 4 Tots

The 2015 Toys4Tots season in Second Life is in full swing and now it's time for for the Seventh Annual Toys 4 Tots Breedables Expo and Fair,  scheduled for November 21st - 29th.  The event will cover 2 sims, both dedicated to all Breedables in SL and also non-breedable vendors/sellers. Events will include live performers, raffles, and one very special auction.

A full schedule of events and totals raised to date can be found on our website: http://sl-t4t.org

If you would like to get your own set of fundraising tools- kiosks, sale vendors, etc. Please contact Rocky Hillburton, Marissa Goodliffe, or Shannon Hillburton (Shannon Dubratt).

You can also join the inworld group, Annual T4T Christmas Benefit here:
secondlife:///app/group/28795771-c4a8-ac48-cf40-ead01828608c/about
Just copy and paste the group key in local.

Thank you for all of your support for Toys4Tots!!

ToYs for ToTs  sponsored by WK Wild Kajaera, Escape to Jupiter (221, 126, 22)

Feed a Smile at The Lavender Field

This time of year in Second Life is known for it's events for the Relay for Life. But it is not the only charity going on in Second Life. BloodyKitty dropped by an event for "Feed A Smile" this Sunday. Taking place in the sim of the same name in "The Lavender Field," the event raises funds to feed children in Kenya.

Read BloodyKitty's article in Events.

Toys For Tots Raises $30,000 Dollars at Second Life Expo

Last month, Toys for Tots held it's sixth annual fundraiser in Second Life. "Last year's Expo was an outstanding success, adding over L$1,600,000 to the Toys For Tots coffers" their website stated. This year, they far exceeded it with over 7.646,000 Lindens raised, or a whopping Thirty Thousand US Dollars! The event lasted eight days.

http://www.sl-t4t.org/

Bixyl Shuftan

Scenes From the Toys 4 Tots Drive

The Toys 4 Tots Breedables Expo, mentioned ahead of time last week, is currently going on. This is the sixth year in a row the children's charity has run an event in Second Life.

The Christmas-themed event had a number of exhibits. The event started on November 15, and will be going on until November 30.

Toys For Tots mentioned they raised a total of 1,600,000 Lindens last year, and already they have exceeded that. As of the writing of this article, their total is about 1,732,000, or about $7,000 US dollars.

Check out the event for yourself at Ponie Wonderland I (128/218/21).

For more information, check the SL Toys For Tots blog: http://www.sl-t4t.org/ .

Press Release: Madpea Hosting Feed-A-Smile Charity Auction

MadPea Productions is hosting a celebrity auction in support of Live and Learn in Kenya's Feed-a-Smile program. Held at Mad City Park on Sunday, February 23, from 8AM to 6PM SLT, we will have a professional emcee and live entertainment.

The goal of the Feed-a-Smile program is to raise funds to feed children in Kenya. There are 400 children in the program who are fed daily.  All 100% of donations are transferred directly to Kenya to care for the children, provide education, medicine, food, shelter, and foster care. Visit www.llk-selb.de for more information.

What we need from you is YOU! We would like to put you up on the auction block (or simply post your photo and bio card on an auction board) and let the crowd bid for the chance to win an hour with you (within a two week time of the auction). This hour can be spent giving a demo of your particular skill - for example, building or designing something, or a behind the scenes tour of your business - or a simple dance date where you share your time in conversation.

Our goal with this event is 1,200,000L, which will feed all 400 kids in the Feed-a-Smile program for a month. We know we can reach this goal with your help.

Please contact Honey Cesuvino or Picoole Bade and then return the attached notecard and a photo of yourself by Sunday, February 16.

Thank you very much for being a part of this wonderful and deserving project.


FB Link:https://www.facebook.com/events/206214266242662/206499826214106/?notif_t=event_mall_reply

The Drax Files: "Episode 16 - Feed a Smile"

(Click Here if the video fails to load)

"A child in Kenya can eat today because your avatar gave 100 Linden Dollars at this concert!"

For Brique Topaz, who runs the Germany based non-profit "Live and Learn in Kenya", a statement like the above is nothing at all out of the ordinary: little bits of virtual currency from an online world, donated by avatars who listen to musicians represented by pixels helps pay for children in impoverished slums outside of Nairobi - makes total sense!

After all: user-to-user transactions in Second Life are over 500 million US$ per year. Why not funnel some of that cash to good causes?

Should you however feel confused whenever the topic of virtual reality and its impact on the physical realm is being discussed, fear not: invest the next 5 minutes and thou shalt be enlightened, with stories of passion, persistence and really good music.

More information on the web at http://www.leben-lernen-kenia.org/typo3/index.php?id=6&L=1

or live in-world at the Lavender Field: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Feed%20A%20Smile/124/120/24"