By Bixyl Shuftan
Sunday June 25 was the day of the Relay for Life "Steampunk Land and Sky Race For a Cure" event, hosted by Team Sunbeamers at the Pacific Waters sim. While the Sunbeamers usually hold a "Road Rally" event at the sim every year for the Relay, this time the decision was made to ramp things up.
The event was given a steampunk theme, so the WW2 era fighters that are usually on the field were stored away, and Great War biplanes and craft worthy of a H.G. Wells or Jules Verne story took their place.
People attending, such as aircraft maker Jessicabelle Dayafter were encouraged to wear Victorian/steampunk style outfits, or pirate ones. Note Steelhead resident Darlingmonster Ember in the background.
An airborne racing course was set up, with a guiding red line to help keep racers on track.
Two other teams were invited to take part. The one who did was "Meli's Maniacs. Their co-captain Violet Solano was among those who showed up. Also in the picture, Prettykitty Gumbo of the RFL leadership team, Cynthia Farshore and Shockwave Yareach who did the work of setting up the airport and racing courses, and the Sunbeamer's resident succubus Valkyrie Ice.
Sunbeamer Team captain Rita Mariner was there. Normally she wouldn't appear in pink, but she was still under the terms of a "Bid Me" a few days earlier.
Cynthia Farshore, the owner of the Pacific Waters sim and Farshore Field, did the majority of the work on the racing grounds
Shockwave Yareach helped her out.
Cynthia taking her Flying Dutchman out for a spin.
Jessicabelle did the race in her Fokker Dr.1,
Then proceeded to do some acrobatics.
Cynthia had a Nieuport, but there never was a dogfight.
There were some free bicycle blimps available, designed by Shockwave.
They could be used to race on the ground.
Or in the air.
Rita had this double balloon and long basket.
More "Dieselpunk" than steampunk, but it works.
We had some unusual looks dropping by, such as a platypus.
And a pirate parrot.
Beryl Strifeclaw (Gager Resident) of the Maniacs showed up in a different look than I usually see the person in.
Cynthia does the air course in a pre-WW2 trainer.
Anoher steampunk contraption of Jessicabelle's.
Other contraptions took to the air.
Cynthia then took to the road with her old-time roadster.
Some of the turns were a bit tricky.
Jessica brought out her own motorcycle, one worthy of a steampunk madgirl.
She decided to take that onto the track as well.
Jessicabelle would get the fastest time for a motorbike on the course.
After the races, it was time for the music and dance party.
Cynthia provided the tunes, steampunk themed ones such as "Time Machine" and "Just Put On Some Gears and Call it Steampunk" alongside classic rock.
Dusk, usually with the Sunbeamers but whom was helping the Maniac this year, was present.
Others showed up just in time for the song and dance as well.
Oldesoul Eldemar showed up as a tiny, steampunkish Dalek. Unlike his larger cousins, this one seemed devoid of hate.
Oops! It seemed the other Daleks found out about the party.
But they didn't last long.
Over the course of the event, a lot of donations had come in. When the race started, the total amount raised by the Sunbeamers was 412,000 Linden dollars. We were well into Gold, but 150,000 short of Platinum level. During the race, there were several large donations that brought the team to less then 100,000 left to go to the next level. That must have encouraged the donations to keep coming. In the second hour of the party, we finally did it. For the second time ever, and for the first time before the Relay Walk, the Sunbeamers made Platinum rank fundraising this year. Our event had raised the Sunbeamers 154,000 Linden dollars. The Maniacs also did very well, making Silver rank, and at this time are at 209,000 Linden dollars raised.
For those of us lucky enough to be at Cynthia's Road Rally/Air Race today. We made PLATINUM! We cracked the level at the dance down in the Goblin Cave, while listening to great music, DJ'd by Cynthia. Oldesoul and several members of other teams showed. We even helped Meli's Maniacs make SILVER. All in all a very successful event.
Thanks to team Captain Rita Mariner, Shockwave Yareach, numerous other Relayers in and out of the Sunbeamers, and most of all the industrious Cynthia Farshore, once again "the little team that could" had done it once more. And it was an event that will go down in Sunbeamer history as it's best event.
Bixyl Shuftan
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