DJ Cynthia Raises Over 40K Lindens For Team Sunbeamers At Relaystock

By Bixyl Shuftan 

The weekend of Friday May 13 to Sunday May 15 marked the Relaystock in Second Life. Organized by the Relay Rockers, this tribute to the 1969 music festival that became known as the "Summer of Love," is a multi-team event in which other teams are invited to take part. 

Numerous campsites are available, with either a tent or a bus, and a team can usually get one just by asking. There are also slots available over the course of the three days for DJs and performers. For Team Sunbeamers' Cynthoa Farshore, her slot was on Saturday at 2PM, following Keeba & the Tiny Maniacs.

 Nuala Maracas: 2pm - On the RelayStock stage - DJ Cynthia Farshore for the Sunbeamers Relay team.  It will be a groovy time !

But it wasn't going to be just any DJ session. Team captain Rita Mariner and several others from the team, Scout Snowpaw, Liska da'Lantros, Mato, and Nydia Tungsten, were going to be dancing on stage alongside Cynthia. Gathering at the Sunbeamer camp before the time slot, all were dressed in 60s-themed outfits, such as the flower-pattern bell-bottom jeans, and tinted glasses made by late Sunbeamer Alleara Snoodle. 

As the time got closer, we walked to the stage. Keeba and her band of whimsical tinies soon finished up and hopped off. Then Shockwave and the girls stepped on, the wolf soon stepping aside. For a couple minutes, there were some technical difficulties, interrupting the music. Then everything began running smoothly.

As DJ Cynthia did the 60s-themed music, all danced to the tunes to an appreciative audience. Every time someone made a donation, the kiosk on stage would chime, "Thank you for being a hero! Your donation makes it possible for us to provide support and services to cancer patients in Second Life at the American Cancer Society island." Behind the scenes, Shockwave Yareach, with some help from Nydia, was making sure all went smoothly with the music stream. "Why isn't Shock dancing?" someone from the audience asked. The wolf just smiled, "Oh, I'm just the recording engineer." One Sunbeamer in the audience having just arrived would comment, "My real life half-sister was a hippy, gods I so disliked her attitude (grin)."

Shockwave would express his appreciation to the crowd, "All of you, thank you so much for coming out.  We love entertaining you and fighting cancer." When a latecomer to the party asked what all the 60s decor was about, Shockwave answered, "This event is a recreation of Woodstock," then mentioning his furry friends, "with even MORE hair. ... I wasn't at the real thing.  But I love this one more, because all of you are here. We are getting close to a real cure for cancer.  So tantalyzing close. I may yet live long enough to see a cure for cancer and bases on the moon. My kids get to have the adventure I wanted."

Shockwave then brought up the team's weekly event, "For those in the audience, the Sunbeamers have a dance on the moon every Thursday.  Everyone is welcome. We have a variety of music. And the aliens haven't hurt anyone yet. Come join us if you want -- no pressure." Shockwave grinned, then noticed his joke about the lack of air pressure on the real moon might have gone unnoticed, "That pun was bad, eh?"

Among those in the audience were a few from team "Roos With A Dream." When one latecomer arrived, another would say, "Glad to see my Roolief arrived." Another would give the tail of a Sunbeamer in the audience a big hug. Then another turned to the stage, " 'roos love the beamers!" Then she would comment about the dancers, "Wow! its Cynthia and the Cynthettes!" Shockwave would comment, "Cynthly Irresistable!" "Ooh, I like that! Cynthia and the Cynthetics." "If you like the music of the past," Shockwave went on, "let's try making Cancer a thing of the past also. Jump in the mud! Kick up your heels! So this blast from the past is the next big thing -- Cynthia and the Cynthetics!"

(click here to see the video, from Nydia)

Cynthia being an anthro nannygoat in a group of foxes, wolves, bunnies, and felines got a small amount of friendly ribbing, Shockwave musing, "And her DJings not baaaaaaad." Another remarked, "Guess sometimes you gotta take, life by the horns." "You people are the best!" One of the 'Roos went along with the pun and with a compliment, "I think Cynthia is the Greatest Of All Time." Shockwave then smiled, " Look, she's blushing." "How can you tell?" "I can tell (grin)."

Shockwave would comment of his Relaying, "It's  a fun escape though. ... You guys keep me sane. Scary, huh? Hehhehheh." One of the Sunbeamers commented, "Not sure about 100% sane... there's always the inner mad scientist?" The wolf grinned, "They figured if I was gonna blow stuff up, make it useful. REmember, Cynthia and the Cynthetics are available for Bar Mitzvahs and Wine Stomping."

Earlier, Shockwave commented that he felt raising 15,000 Lindens was a reasonable goal. But as the event went on, the Sunbeamers met that, and then some, "We made the goal, and doubled it!" One of the 'Roos cheered, ***Wewtwewt *** "'beamers are over 600k." Shockwave grinned, "For that stretch goal, I will NOT sing for you now." Noted Relayer Bain Finch would comment, "Was just looking over the team leader board. WOW!" Shockwave would then challenge, "Anyone got a spare 10K to put a stake in Cancers' corpse?" To his pleasant surprise, the money quickly came, "All of you have contributed so much!!  Thank you so much! ... The sunbeamers have a small camp this year.  But you're welcome to relax with us."

Near the end, Cynthia would say, "Okay I'm wrapping with a more modern tune but has the meaning of what we are doing here!" It soon appeared, "I Run For Life."

I run for hope,
I run to feel,
I run for the truth, for all that is real,
I run for your mother, your sister, your daughter, your wife,
For you and me my friend,
I run for life.

"We  are the Sunbeamers!" Shockwave shouted, "Thank you all for sharing this time with us.  And Go Relay!"

By the end of Cynthia's session, the Sunbeamers had raised a total of 40,416 Lindens in their kiosk. "That's one of the highest amounts I've seen raised here so far," one of the 'Roos commented. "Thank you all of you contributing," Shhockwave told the crowd, "It means a lot to all of us -- we have lost SO many." Cynthia sighed with relief, "I can breath now." Nydia cheered, "Let's hear it for Cynthia! You did good." "And Nydia as choreographer," Rita told the crowd. One of the crowd cheered, "I loved your show. Who knew the beamers could do that?!" Rita would tell the dancers, "Mato, Shocky, Cynthia, Scout, Liska, Nydia we did good, thank you all." "Next year, we'll use my server though," Shockwave would comment. He would later say some were listening in from outside the sim, giving Cynthia a larger audience than anticipated.

There would be other events later that day and on Sunday, concluding with Trader Whiplash DJing the final event. 

With over 605,000 Lindens raised inworld, The RFL in SL site puts Team Sunbeamers at ninth place of 137 teams. But with the Winter Expo and Fantasy Faire counted as teams, Seventh Place might be a better assessment.

Next weekend is the Sunbeamer Air Show, at  Saturday May 21. The Sunnies will also be among those with a campsite on the Relay track for the Relay Weekend, Saturday June 11 to Sunday June 12.

Go Sunbeamers! Go Relay!

Bixyl Shuftan