Le Six: A New Event For Designers, Photographers and Shoppers

By Klaus Bereznyak

"Le Six" is a new event connecting designers with photographers and shoppers on the wonderfully photogenic sim of Le Sixieme Sens. The event is a little unusual in that there is no rent or fee for designers, and there is a maximum price of 160L$ on any items offered.

Additionally, every month, there is a photo contest. Photographers are invited to create imagery using items from the current round of Le Six and shot at Le Sixieme Sens. They will need to join a group to get rezz rights. Between the 5th and 22nd of each month entrants can add their picture to the Flickr group, sit tight and hope for the best when the round is judged on the 26th.

The shopping area is on a platform high above the sim, formally laid out with stone vendors, hedges and statues, very much in keeping with the feel of  Le Sixieme Sens. In the October round I noticed a variety of offerings, all of a very high quality. Not surprisingly, clothing and accessories were in abundance, along with some seasonal decor, furniture, sculptures and art works. There was plenty here to give a photographer some ideas for a set piece.

 

From the platform, there was a teleport to the ground, so it would be possible to grab some stuff and go down straight away and shoot a roll of film.

Le Sixieme Sens boasts rustic and Tuscan themes, with lots of charming nooks to sit in, and atmospheric scenery - some rugged, some soft - carpeted with flowers and foliage. It is easy to spend a pleasant hour, just wandering and exploring.

 

Information about sponsors and participants, and instructions for the photo competition are available from the landing point at Le Six. Best of luck to all the designers and photographers - power to your pixels!

SLURL:        http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Le%20Sixieme%20Sens/81/59/1501 

Website:     https://www.le-six-event.com/

Flickr Pool:  https://www.flickr.com/groups/3131319@N22/

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/Lesixevent/

 

Klaus Bereznyak

 

The 2013 Buddy Walk

By Bixyl Shuftan

For the second half of March, the Buddy Walk Fair and Expo is taking place in Second Life. The Buddy Walk is a yearly event created to raise awareness of Down Syndrome, the most common chromosome abnormality in humans. The event is also to promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with the disorder. The condition is caused by a third copy of the 21st chromosome, and generally results in mental disabilities and other problems. About one in every 700 babies born in the United states is diagnosed with the condition.

According to a notecard from the event, the Buddy Walk was founded in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society. Seventeen events related to the Walk took place across the US. By 2008, there were more than 250 related events, including Second Life. This was the first year of the SL Buddy Walk, in which 170 residents attended, and 55,000 Lindens were raised. In 2012. over five hundred residents attended, and over 144,000 Lindens were donated for the event.

This year, the Buddy Walk is called the Buddy Walk Charity Fair and Expo, taking place over not a weekend, but over a two week period. Like last year, there are musicians performing at live events. With the addition of the charity fair, there are stores, "Each designer has made at least two items that the proceeds  will go directly to the walk." There is a walk pathway, but there is no scheduled walk for everyone. The notecard stated this was due to "the limitations and lag of SL" in addition to residents living in different time zones.


While paying a visit to the Expo near the end of opening day, I ran into Lilly Juno, the person to contact about information about the Buddy Walk. "This has been so great," she told me, "a lot of work, but love it. I worked hard to make sure we (had) a full house, and mo missing stores. … Designers help drive a lot of traffic."

Lilly told me they had raised 31,000 Lindens on the first day, "This event is so important. It's the first time we are doing it like an expo." She had been approached after the end of the 2012 Buddy Walk about the expo idea, "I told her I will do it id she didn't know how … I wanted to make sure we can get the awareness out there."  They had a number of musicians coming in to perform, such as Maximillion Klene and Edward Kyomoon.

Of the shops, "It's something very special to me to see so many great designers and some that step in when I need a few. I had a few designers that stepped in at the last minute to fill a few needed spots." All stores had at least two items in which 100% of the sales went to the walk, "Some are only doing two items, and then some are doing three, four, and six items. And then the rest of the store is 50% donations. And some stores are only (having) the donation vendors only. We only asked they make some of the vendors for donations."

Lilly added that there was an advertisement on SL TV for the Buddy Walk, on Pulse TV.

Lilly went on to say when the Buddy Walk for 2013 is finally done, she will be working for another event, "next month my event company is running the  Parkinson charity."

"There is much to say," Lilly told me of the Buddy Walk Expo, "so many have come together to make this event possible. When I was looking for designers, some people got some for me or IMed friends who knew some. They were all so great in helping me. This is my first huge event. I have hosted events before this, but nothing of this level, I am still learning. We would like to see feedback, and make this event better next year too."

"If you think about it, we are all the same in many ways, you, me, anyone. No matter what sex or race a person is, we all have feelings. We all have fears. We all have learning issues. Some are better at one thing or another, but we all can't be Beethoven. But we can stand up together to support what matters to each of us."

The Buddy Walk Charity Fair and Expo is at Relaxation (133, 104, 28)


Bixyl Shuftan

Together for Sway

A few months ago, Sway Dench, one of SL’s most creative and nicest residents, learned that she had a serious medical problem.    Sway owns Swayland, located at SwayLand (157, 168, 21).    She is known for her Cookie Bears and designs that celebrate home, love, family, and friends.

In November, Sway sent her friends and supporters a notecard that told them she had been diagnosed with a brain tumor.   The good news is that there is a high probability that the tumor is benign.   She is scheduled to have surgery in RL on January 28, 2013.   

“Until then,” Sway wrote, “I'm gonna try to be online as often as possible but unfortunately I won't be able to work as much as I used to.”  She also stated that she will be out of SL for a few months after the surgery while she is recovering.   Naturally Sway was concerned about losing Swayland and her design shop during her absence.    When her friends found out about the problem, they got together to create “Together for Sway,” an event designed to help her and her sim.   

In her note Sway stated, “Not only have you been listening to me, giving me strength thereby and encouraging me, you also have thought of something exceptional.... I am overwhelmed and practically speechless about the level of support I have experienced so far.  Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”

“Together for Sway” was a huge market that was set up at The Nest (214, 57, 2000) during December.  According to the “Together for Sway” blog, over 80 stores and designers participated in the market.  On the first day, 500,000 Lindens were raised!  

 I didn’t make it to the opening day, but I stopped by later in the month.    Every type of item could be bought there:  lots of fancy and casual outfits, jewelry, animations, furniture, buildings, little cat hats, food, games—even a ringing telephone.    There were so many neat items that it was hard to decide what to get.  Many of them were at special prices, too.    By the time the event ended, a total of 1,551,825 Lindens had been raised.

A few days ago, Sway sent her friends and supporters another note and a special gift, a unique Thank-You Cookie Bear.   In her note Sway wrote, “I'd like to thank all of you!  The talented designers who donated time to build lovely and wonderful items...customers for your shopping stamina, bloggers for spreading the word through great pictures and posts, DJs and bands for the fun times and great music.   You have given me a lot more than Lindens.  You gave me a boost, strength, a reason to laugh, a shoulder to cry on, and a huge hug!   Thank you all very much for your help, your support, friendship and love.”

Although the market is gone, donations can still be made on Swayland.    The “Together for Sway” blog plans to provide updates on Sway until she is able to return to SL.   The link is www.togetherforsway.wordpress.com   All of us at SL Newser join in wishing Sway a speedy recovery!

Grey Lupindo