Commentary: Of RFL's Team Sunbeamer's Folding

 

"All good things must come to an end" so goes an old saying. And late last month, following the death of it's captain Rita Mariner, it was announced that the Relay for Life's Team Sunbeamers, after thirteen years of fun and fundraising, would be retired. Obviously the end of it's leader was the big reason. But there were others that led to this decision.

 

Read the commentary in Extra.  

Cartoon of The Day: "Pony Up"

 

 

Taken at the Sunbeamer Carnival. Penny Shuftan  (Deaflegacy) meets a new pony friend.

 

By Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Reminder: Sunbeamer Air Show Today

 

 Just a reminder. Today is the day of the Relay Team Sunbeamer's annual air show. The fun starts at 10 AM. There will be DJ events, air squadron acrobatics, game such as the bicycle blimp race, and more.  

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunlight%20Bay/121/169/22 

 

Sunbeamer Sailing Ships

 

In Sunlight Bay near the Puddle Jumper Mall are a couple of sailing ships, with the sails in the Relay for Life's Team Sunbeamer's logo. The team has every intention of outsailing cancer this year.

 

Bixyl Shuftan

 

 

RFL Sunbeamer Air Show Takes Place

 

 Saturday had one of the big events for the Relay's Team Sunbeamers, probably it's biggest yearly event aside from the Relay Weekend: the Annual Air Show at Farshore Field. Besides the aircraft on display on the ground, the balloon, and the dunk tank, there were four aerial performances, plus the music and dance party. 

How much was raised during the event is not yet known, but the "Sunnies" have raised a total of 890,138 Lindens so far this season, currently making them sixth of the 175 registered teams.

 

We'll have more pictures soon. In the meantime, enjoy some from Wildstar Beaumont.

 

Go Relay! 

 

*Addition: Cynthia Farshore informed the Newser that a total of 102.390 Linden dollars had been raised. She would say it was 35,250 for Roos With a Dream, 67,140 for the Sunbeamers

 

Picture from Cynthia Farshore

 

 Bixyl Shuftan

Reminder: Sunbeamer Air Show Today

 

Just a reminder, the Sunbeamer Air Show is today, It starts at 11 AM, and goes on to 6PM SL time. Events go on for the whole six hours, and will provide plenty of entertainment, from aerial acrobatics to DJ music.Plus, there's the balloon rides, the dunk tank with the German 88, and the aircraft displays that have been part of the show for years.

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunlight%20Bay/174/67/22 

 

Press Release: RFL Sunbeamers 11th Annual Air Show

 

Welcome to the 11th Annual Sunbeamer Relay For Life Air Show

Team Sunbeamers welcomes you to the 11th Annual Sunbeamer RFL Air Show Fly-in on Saturday March 29th between the hours of 8AM to 5PM SLT. This year’s theme is World War II USO. There will be planes on display with information about them. You can rezz Your Own Plane and stunt around yourself but do ask you clean it up afterwards. Private flying will stop at 10:45am for the sky to be clear for the flight demonstration teams.

This year we welcome four flight demonstration teams and a closing dance
1. Anemone Wing Walking - 11 am slt.
2. Team Phoenix- 12 noon slt
3. French Air Patrol (PAF) - 1 pm slt'
4. Blue Angles - 2 pm slt.
DJ Kayla and the Kangaroos - 3pm till 5pm

A Pilot will be on hand to give balloon rides around the Sunweaver regions.

There will be a Laser Tag arena as well as a carnival midway with a number of activities to participate in. At each activity we ask for a donation to the Relay For Life kiosk located at each, not required but it would be nice.

On the field are Avatar Cannons! For a donation you will be shot out as an Avatar Cannonball!! Oh, and you should grab the free RFL 2025 logo textured parachute provided so that you have a gently landing.

You can take turns dunking either your partner, a Sunbeamer, or anyone in a dunk tank, Just onnnne little detail, instead of a beanbag you fire a German 88mm shell into its target!! There will be lots of other activities so come explore.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunlight%20Bay/174/67/22

 

RFL Team Sunbeamer Meeting

 

 

 On Sunday February 9 at 12 Noon SL time, the Relay for Life in Second Life's Team Sunbeamers had their pre-season meeting. Led by team captain Rita Mariner, and with two of "Roos With A Dream" present, there was a discussion about what to do, what events to hold, and some events that would be temporarily shelved. 

Due to a viewer glitch, the table was invisible to me, so I remained standing.

 

 

Two weekly events came up, the Roos' one on Monday, and the Sunnies' Moon Dance for Thursdays at 6PM, once the Relay Season starts. One annual event that will definitely be held is the Sunbeamer Air Show, hosted by Cynthia Farshore on her Farshore Airfield in Sunlight Bay. The date has yet to be set as Cynthia is coordinating with an air squadron about when the best weekend will be. 

It was also brought up that one recent Relay Weekend campsite of the team's was an award winner, and there were hopes of repeating that performance. 

The Relay for Life's fundraising season for 2025, "The Magic of Hope," officially starts with the Kickoff on Saturday February 15.

 

For more information about Relay events, check the calendar Here.

 

Bixyl Shuftan

 

 

 

Cartoon of The Day: Using The Force

 

 

 Taken at the RFL Sunbeamer team meeting. Kylee looked like she was levitating a carrot at one point. As the day before was May the Fifth (be with you), perhaps she was trying to use Jedi powers on it. 

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

Getting Ready For The Sunbeamer Air Show

 

 

Taking a look at Farshore Field in Sunlight Bay, already there's being preparations being made for the Relay's annual Sunbeamer Air Show. Near one of the hangars was this plane, decked out in team colors.

 

The Air Show takes place on Saturday May the 4rth

RFL Weekend: The Sunbeamer Camp

 

 

 The Relay Weekend has arrived, and on the track many dozens of teams have their campsites set up. This includes Team Sunbeamers, who have their camp set up in RFL Advocacy. 

With the theme this year being "Hope Floats," there are balloons that will take people to a few floating islands, each with information about cancer and treating it.

As with previous Sunbeamer camps, a big part of this campsite is the Memorial Garden, where numerous people who passed from cancer, including some particularly close to the team, are honored.

 

There is also the Hope Lodge. For several of the Sunbeamers, the fight against cancer is a personal one, either having suffered from it themselves, or having to care for someone who had.

It should also be noted that this year, the Sunbeamers didn't just build a camp, but were able to sponsor the sim.

By all means drop by today, and tomorrow, but don't forget to walk the track and see many other great campsites.

Go Sunbeamers! Go Relay!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/RFL%20Advocacy/123/77/23

Bixyl Shuftan

Announcement: Sunbeamers' Medieval Fun Faire This Saturday

 

 

 When: Sat, May 6, 9am – 5pm

DescriptionHear Ye Hear Ye, All are invited to attend the Sunbeamers Medieval Fun Faire this May 6th, 2023 from the hours of 9am until 5pm. 

Come and enjoy the music and dance from the World Famous DJ Kayla and The Roos performing on stage from 3pm till 5pm. 

After a donation to the American Cancer Society you may compete in Axe throw and Archery competitions for the prizes that shall be awarded unto ye who has the highest score in each by fairs end. You may try as many times as you like. 

The Joust shall take place at 2pm until 3pm with a L$500 prize. Sign-up donation for the joust shall open at 8am at the kiosk located next to the joust track. 

For extra entertainment there is a whole region of things to find and do including a horse jump track, kissing booths, food, rope slides, fishing, boating, and in the center of a lagoon the Goblin Cave Community Center with 24 hour music and dance floor along with plenty of seating just to sit and relax.

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Downs/49/163/23

 

RFL Announcement: More Sunbeamer "Bid Me" Events

 
Earlier this Relay season, the Sunbeamer team did a few "Bid Me" events, which resulted in two taking on a different look for a week. Once again, the team has a few members putting their looks on the line to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

The various "Bid Me" events all involve pairs of kiosks at Club Cutlass. The left ot each pair is the "default" in which those wishing to keep the volunteer as is can donate. The right kiosk is the one for the volunteer's new look. How long the person stays in their new look depends on the change kiosk being higher and how much was donated. Fractions of weeks are rounded down. For instance if someone pledged to stay a new look for every 5000 Lindens donated, and 9999L was donated, he or she would only need to spend one week changed. But one more Linden dollar would make it two weeks.

Team Captain Rita Mariner is offering to go pink bunny with "Bid Rita Pink." This is something of a big deal due to Rita doesn't care too much for the color, as what she spoke about it in the past illustrates:

Sunnies:  I have put myself up for a BID ME,  You can choose to keep me my cute, sweet, white bunny, or turn me into an EBIL, PINK BUNNY!  I dislike pink on me!  So here is your chance at REVENGE!

For every 3000 Linden dollars, rounded down, Rita has to spend a week having a "bubblegum crisis" as a bubblegum pink bunny. Those wanting to keep her white can donate to the left kiosk.

Next to Rita's kiosks are that of Bixyl Shuftan, whom volunteered for "Bid Bixyl Stinker." For every 3000 Linden dollars, rounded down, the normally foxy reporter will have to spend a week as a skunk (unless he's doing an interview or something else obvious for the Newser).

Liska da'Lantros (LiskaDaLantros Resident) is doing the third fundraiser in "Bid Liska Pink." For every 3000 Linden dollars, rounded down, she'll be a pink vixen.

The fourth Bid-Me fundraiser is that of òᴥó Mr.Fox da'Alenfey òᴥó (Spooked Dreamscape). For "Bid Fox Blue," for every 4000 Linden dollars rounded down, he will be in a different avatar.

All four "Bid Me" fundraisers last until Saturday June 4. At 8PM at the end of the party at Cutlass last night, the totals will be calculated and the results final and announced.

Sunweaver Bay (114/117/757).

Bixyl Shuftan
 

A Busy Weekend

Quite a bit happened this weekend from the last of the Sunbeamer Relay Bid-Mes reaching it's conclusion, to the Firestorm fundraiser being declared a success, a "Furry Prom" that was attended by over fifty avatars, and more. Details on these and other goings-on.

Team Sunbeamer's "Bid Shockwave Goat" Fundraiser

After a week, Team Sunbeamer's "Bid Me Foxy" is doing well, having raised 8500 Lindens so far. It's just been joined by another "Bid Me" Fundraiser, "Bid Shockwave Goat."

With Cynthia Farshore, who has always been known by her anthro nannygoat avatar, going canid for a while with "Bid Me Foxy," her teammate Shockwave Yareach is joining her with a "Bid Me" that turns things full circle. In "Bid Shockwave Goat," the Sunbeamer who is seldom seen without his anthro wolf avatar, promises to be an anthro buck goat for every week each 2000 Linden dollars, rounded down are raised. This means if 5999 Lindens are raised, he spends two weeks in his new look while 6000 would mean tin can jokes for three. And as with other Sunbeamer Bid Me events, there's a default kiosk for those wanting him to keep his usual look. If it gets more cash than the goat kiosk, he stays a wolf.

As of the writing of this article, 3000 Linden dollars have been raised. Meaning without lots of cash in the default kiosk, he'll be hooved for at least one week. How many more "bucks" the goat fundraiser gets remains to be seen.

Both Cynthia's "Bid Me Foxy" and the "Bid Shockwave Goat" run until Friday June 15 at 8PM, following the close of the party contest at Club Cutlass where the kiosks are. As of the writing of this article, Team Sunbeamers have raised a little more than 397,000 Linden dollars. With the upcoming "Club Crawl" and Sunbeamer Air Show, 500,000 Lindens and Sapphire level fundraiser status are within sight.

Go Sunbeamers, go Relay!

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunweaver%20Bay/114/117/757

Bixyl Shuftan

The Sunbeamer Cancer Cell Train Shootout

Every year, Shockwave Yareach has a game for people to play at the Sunweaver Estates. This time, he's incorporated the train ride that was opened earlier this year. He's also made it a Relay fundraiser, a small fee required to play, all proceeds going to Team Sunbeamers.

Pay the kiosk 50L, wear the SalesBracelot it gives you, grab your favorite gun, and ride the train through SIX sims, shooting cancer cells as you go. Up to six players at one time can play, or just yourself. Wanna destroy cancer? Show it that you mean business! Train runs every hour at the top of the hour.

Have fun!! And thank you all for your support.

To play the game, when the time gets close to a few minutes before the next hour, head to the White Vixen Enterprises office at Pacific Waters (147, 58, 36).  Pay the kiosk that says "Train Shootout" 50 Lindens, then wear the item (it goes by the name "SalesBracelot" in your inventory). It then loads you into the game. When the train appears, board it. And make sure you have a working gun available.

As you go down the track, you'll see red cells floating in the air. Shoot them if you can. When hit, they explode in an orange cloud. You'll only be able to do so from the train. If you fall off, you'll no longer be able to see them. In a few spots, you won't be able to shoot as the bullets will not be able to rezz. Don't worry, the train will soon move to a spot where you can resume fire. The game only works when the train is going from Northeast to Southwest. Nothing will happen when the train goes the other way at half past the hour.

The train will travel through six sims. When the train reaches the end of the track in Sunweaver Bay, you're given a score on the number of cancer cells you blasted. How high can you get?

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Pacific%20Waters/147/58/36

Bixyl Shuftan

Cartoon of the Day

Taken at the Happy Vixen. Skylark Lefavre in her pony avatar, holding the flag of the Relay for Life Sunbeamer Team, which holds a few events at the club.

By Bixyl Shuftan

Interview with Shockwave Yareach

Deaflegacy recently interviewed one of the leading members of the Sunweaver community where the Second Life Newser makes it's home: Shockwave Yareach. One of the original members of the community, he is known as a man of many talents, from building, the DJing, to composing and singing song parodies, and his dry sense of humor. Although he has talked to the Newser at times about topics, he himself has never truly been the subject. He talked to Deaflegacy at his place in Sunweaver Space about his time in Second Life, and a little about what he does on his side of the computer.

Read Deaflegacy's interview in People.

RFL Weekend: The Sunbeamer Camp

The main event of the Relay for Life season is this weekend, the Relay Walk. Taking place across almost forty sims, there are numerous team camps with a variety of builds. Among them is the Sunbeamers camp in RFL Support (18, 136, 23). Second Life Newser took a look at the camp, getting some screenshots.

See the pictures in Design.

Team Sunbeamer Meeting

On Sunday January 10, several members of the Sunbeamer team met to discuss concerns and ideas for events. Besides the "Fox Avatar Challenge," and the annual air show, other ideas were discussed. One was a coin game that the region used to have, "That's something NO team will be doing.  And it's fun, and we can use the village around us on this sim. ... find a coin and get a prize." Another idea was for a "Mad Hatter" event. There were also plans to do a joint event for another team.

Becky Shamen wasn't there, but she had placed this stuffed cat at the table ahead of time. Perhaps a sample of what she's making.

Be on the lookout for more events by Team Sunbeamer soon, and don't forget to check other teams.

Go Relay!