Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts

Monday, October 21, 2024

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

 
 By Bixyl Shuftan


On Sunday October 6, I went to a stage play held as one of the events at the "I Pink I Can" fundraiser, "A Child’s Journey Through Cancer: The Musical." It was held at 1PM SL time.
 
 
 Our show is the story of a child’s journey through cancer told in music and dance. It takes us through the fear, joy and hope experienced in a cancer journey.
 
"Thank you everyone for coming today. And welcome to our presentation of 'A Child's Journey Through Cancer' told in music and dance. This show was conceived and choreographed by our littlest Roo, Patty Flow, with musical assistance from Kayla Flow. Our cast includes members of the Roos With A Dream RFL team, our good friend, and Cure Chaser, Sienna Thor, our creator friend Brooklyn Ansar-Elfing, the violin of Roo Aragain Siochana  and the singing voice of Cure Chaser MrMikie String."
 

 The first act was of kids having fun in the park, with the music being Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." 
 

Those in the audience approved, "Yay Patty!!" "They are so cute!" "I also want that  jungle gym in back"
 

But then came Act 2, with the music "The Luna Sequence" by Whitewash Currents playing, "Act 2 opens with our heroine in the doctor’s office with her mother and the doctor. The mood is somber as they await the diagnosis, while her friends wait outside fearing the worst. ... Fear gives way to rage... It’s cancer!" 

The audience had a number of comments, "Oh no! My sweet little girl." "The words cancer and children should never be linked together." "I love this play, but I'll be a wreck after it." "It always brings me to tears." "A story of far too many people and must be stopped." "Very much so." "This is such a powerful show." "I'd comment for what I really think of cancer, but there are children present." "They think it too Bain, I'm sure of it." "And their parents."
 
The narrator would add, "But the doctor explains that due to the hard work of dedicated researchers, many funded by the American Cancer Society, there are treatments available and there is hope for a normal life again."
 

Then came Act Three, with the girl in a hospital ward, with her mother beside her, her treatments leaving her bald and wearing a bandana, "In Act 3 our heroine has been through treatment and is now in the hospital nervously awaiting word on the results." The audience had a few comments, "Chemo and radiation, kiss me goodbye." " Hope our little girl's hair grow back soon."
 
 
And the nurse delivers some good news, and everyone cheers, the narrator adding, "And, of course, the ringing of the bell!" The audience cheered as well, "I heard a BELL!" "I did too!" *looks over at the bell she was given upon completing radiation therapy.* "Bless the survivors and God keep the survivors and caregivers in your arms."


And in Act Four, the kids were dancing around at the playground once again, to the music "The Impossible Dream," " In the final act, our story of hope concludes to the sounds of our good friend MrMikie String singing about achieving impossible dreams... like ridding the world of cancer by daring to take on the task." There were cheers from the audience, "She's got her hair back!!"


Then the cast came out and took a bow, Patty saying, "I would like to take this opportunity to thank my cast and especially those that stepped up to the plate at the last minute following our set back of loosing some of our regular cast to real-life. Some without any experience worked with us as a team last evening and saved today's show for your enjoyment," The audience cheered more, "Oh wow! that will be wonderful!" "Everyone did a super job." •*★¨`•  Aρρlɑuѕɛ  •¨`★*•.* *sniffle* "Amazing"
 
One of the cast would say, "Thank you everyone for coming." One of the audience would respond, "Thank you so much, Patty, for reminding us there is hope." "Patty...I will always love this show. Thank YOU ♥" "Makes me so proud to be part of this community" "I have heard that Patty is working on another performance! I cant wait to see it!" "Oh wow! that will be wonderful!" "Just wait and see, you will love it." "This moment in time..was so inspiring." "Such a wonderful play, darlin."

Patty was touched by the comments, "Makes me so proud to be part of this community." Ealwen would add, "Thank you everyone for coming to see us we are honored and humbled." "Thank you all of you for what you do!"

There were a few more comments and hugs, and I had to depart after giving my own compliments. And so went the play dedicated to all children who had to suffer through that dreaded disease, the doctors doing their best to help them, and the researchers bringing us closer to the day children will no longer have to worry about the word "cancer."
 
 Bixyl Shuftan

Sunday, February 23, 2020

The 2020 Relay Season Kickoff


By Bixyl Shuftan
Some pictures from Gemma Cleanslate


The largest fundraiser in Second Life is the Relay for Life. Started in 1985, the leading charity for the American Cancer Society has numerous chapters not only across the United States, but around the world. The Relay for Life in Second Life ranks as one of it's largest, one year ranking 17th in size. Starting in 2014, the Relay has held fundraising seasons inworld every year. This year's theme: "Game on Cancer!"


Just a couple days before the Kickoff, the Home and Garden Expo started.


There were several sims with shops, and places to look around.


The Kickoff took place on Saturday February 15 at 10AM SL time. With so many Relayers, it would be not in one sim, but two. The main location was at the Hope 1 sim, at the Home and Garden Expo.


There was also another location at the Bellissaria fairgrounds.


Gemma Cleanslate was there and took a few pictures.


Including of when Stingray Rainmaker showed up.






There were avatars of all kinds, including a giant fox.





The Committee was on stage, some rezzing more properly on my viewer than others.


There were numerous words of encouragement from the Committee, with videogame music tribute melodies in the background from Mario Land to Tetris, and others.


 Following the Kickoff, there was a "Family Feud" game. This one pitted Moles against some noted Relayers.


While I was there, the Relayers were ahead, but the Moles were putting up a  fight.

Two other photographers would take a number of screenshots that day. They were Ishtarkiss (link), and Wildstar Beaumont (link).

Stay tuned for more pictures of Relay events.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

The Relay For Life Season Kickoff


By Bixyl Shuftan


On Sunday March 5 at 10 AM SL time, the Relay for Life's official fundraising season had it's Kickoff event. The first events had actually been the day before when "Paint Second Life Purple" had started, so this made for a little confusion as too which was the official start. But this being the "Kickoff," this was.


 This year's theme was "Passport to Hope." a reminder that the struggle against cancer is an international one. Yours truly was there representing his community's team: the Sunbeamers.


Speaking to the crowd was the Relay Committee.


Some were a little more relaxed than others.


Gem Sunkiller was a bit "Stilted" from a glitch.


IshtarAngel, Micheline, one of the photographers of the event.


Henning Lionheart aka "The Wolf" of Team Strange Journeys.


Tasha Fairplay


Wildstar Beaumont, Holocluck Henley, and Oldesoul Eldemar. Olde is wearing a "Shady Fox" t-shirt.


Bain Finch and Panza Elde.


Isolte Ember, the captain of the "Ponies for Life" team.


Kalila Mahoney's avatar complexity was a little high, so she wasn't showing on some people's viewers.


This lady was wearing a mask, though it looked a little like the "dirty binoculars" prank from years ago.


RacerX Gullwing of the Giant Snail Racing team and Arizona Ballinger.


Avariel Falcon was a little late to the event, but made it over.


At one point, they were discussing the new "Passport HUD."



The Passport HUD, named after this year's theme, is a new tool one has to use this year to get certain Relay tools, such as the Relay team kiosks. This year, the kiosks cannot simply be passed around freely.


Looks like something broke. I myself ended up crashing several times




At one point, many of us were in a conga dance.


Some other girls were doing their own dancing. Note one nearby avatar that would not fully rezz.


 Some of the "Tiny Chrononauts."


Eventually, the Kickoff was over. But there would be a large number of events that day, as well as the Fashion for Life that had started. Once again, it was time to Relay. Time to once again raise money to help the American Cancer Society in it's effort to find treatments and funds against cancer, and have a little fun while doing so.


Already after less than a week, a few teams have already hit Gold rank in the fundraising totals. My own team, the Sunbeamers, haven't raised much so far as we've already had to raise funds for a friend in need. But we're expected to soon catch up. You can find our kiosks at Club Cutlass in Sunweaver Bay  (114/117/757), the Happy Vixen at Purrfection Estates (236/219/24), and the SL Newser office at HV Community (140/85/25).

On one amusing note, "Stinky the Relay Skunk" is back. Already one team has been "skunked." So this is sure to mean a number of skunk parties, and no doubt a few SL skunks dropping in.

For a recording of the RFL Kickoff, Bain Finch made one available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3OKHH-Ty8aLVFlDV0Z6ZjJoV3M/view?usp=sharing . Wildstar Beaumont made some pictures available on his Flickr page.

"Go Relay!"

Bixyl Shuftan