EPIC OOAK Linden Home Auction @ 2019 SL Christmas Expo

[Nuala Maracas]

The American Cancer Society in Second Life® and Linden Lab, the Society’s partner in the fight against cancer, announced a BLOCKBUSTER AUCTION as part of Believe In The Magic of Christmas, the 9th Annual SL Christmas Expo. 

 The auction will be held during the Expo which runs from Dec 5th through the 15th and supports the Society mission to fight Childhood Cancer. One lucky bidder will receive a 6-month Premium Membership and a 4th Edition Linden Home with Exclusive Seasonal content and located on a special parcel designed just for them by LDPW Moles.  The auction is the fourth and final element of the Lab’s participation in this year’s Expo.  As previously announced the 4th Edition of the New Linden Homes will be revealed at the Expo, Linden homes will be decorated and take part in the annual Lights Of Hope house decoration contest, and the first-ever Ebbe Linden Bear will be revealed and available for a L$ 250 donation to the American Cancer Society, toward the Expo’s goal of raising $20,000 to provide VR Headsets to be used by kids undergoing cancer treatments.

Silent bidding on all OOAKs begins Dec 5th, with final Open Auction Bidding starting at 10am Dec 15th.

 “We are grateful to Linden Lab for their invaluable support of the Expo,” Expo Director Nuala Maracas stated. “Every aspect of this year’s Linden Lab participation will help us not only reach our goal of $20,000, but will also help make more residents familiar with all the programs available at American Cancer Society here in Second Life® and in the organic world.”

In addition to the Linden Homes and Ebbe Bear, this year’s Expo will feature more than 170 merchants, spread over 12 regions, and bringing every aspect of SL living to the event.  Fashion, Childrens shops, breedables and home and garden are only part of the excitement. Nearly non-stop entertainment, Christmas trees, a Snowman Contest, a Kids Fashion Runway Show, winter activities, gachas and raffles are also on tap at the largest and best known Christmas Event on the grid.  There will also be a Stocking Stuffer Hunt and the Magic of Christmas Mega Raffle with more than L$ 155,000 of gift certificates!

Help bring the Magic of Christmas to children with cancer by attending the 2019 SL Christmas Expo, December 5th – 15th The American Cancer Society is the world’s leader in the Fight Against Cancer. All proceeds from the 2019 SL Christmas Expo supports the Society and its efforts to provide research to end and support for those affected by, childhood cancers   www.slchristmasexpo.com

[roseelvira]

Edited November 16, 2019 by roseelvira

[Marianne Little]

Results from cancer research in the American Cancer Society is shared with the world, am I right?

1 minute ago, roseelvira said:

When we had to travel to another part (state)  to a cancer center and stayed at one of the cancer provided housing , we met people from different countries.  The one family told us that   the   Americian  cancer society  paid for their travel , food , expenses   transportation  to and from the airport  to come to the center / hospitol for treatment. This is why it is so important to donate. They do so much !!! 

 

[Nuala Maracas]

The American Cancer Society is very much a global organization.   

The  American Cancer Society works with regional partners to convene and foster collaborations that mobilize a global grassroots network of cancer volunteers, experts and advocates in Sub-Saharan Africa, India and Latin America to advance cancer control policy and awareness, including the African Organization for Research and Training, African First Ladies, and regional partnerships that focus on women’s cancers in India and Latin America.

"Our global work is focused on lower-income countries, where we work across the full cancer continuum, predominantly in national referral hospitals, often the only facilities where cancer is currently addressed. We seek measurable results in countries where Ministries of Health, hospitals and civil society partners can make the most significant impact."

The Christmas Expo, in 2018, raised $20,495 US to help fulfill an urgent need by funding TWO Patient Navigators to work with the more than 1500 cancer patients at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi.

Here is the link  to a personal video to the Christmas Expo from the the Patient Navigator coordinator at the Kenyatta National Hospital, as well as a thank you from Kristen Solt, Managing Director, Global Initiatives, American Cancer Society. 

The Fantasy Faire, for the past 2 years has also had their efforts dedicated to the Kenya Hope Lodge, which is being constructed by the American Cancer Society to provide free lodging. The Faire has raised more than $118,000 US in 2018 & 2019 combined to support the project. Here is their personal video thank you from Kenya to the Fantasy Faire, as well as a note from Kristen Solt.

Information on the overall  Global Initiative is available on the American Cancer website, should you wish to get information.

Our fundraising this year is focused on the VR Goggle program run in the United States, however,  should you feel strongly about only donating to the global initiative, the link to do Global Donation Payments is located here. 

We still hope to see you at the Expo to enjoy the entertainment, build a snowman, take in the sights, view the 4th Reveal Homes. 

[Nika Talaj]

I think charitable organizations throwing large expos and events in SL is great.  And, I've been particularly happy to see organizations OTHER than the ACS throwing events!  I have it as an early New Years' Resolution to go to events for the Autism, Alzheimer and Parkinson's associations in SL.

In the past I dropped out of one or two private estates because the social life there became so focused on ACS fund-raising that we were being endlessly subjected to dunning for kiosk donations at every gathering, and the competitive "relay" fundraising season just kept getting longer ... and longer ...

Large events are a much better approach. 

In my case, my RL family is largely untouched by cancer, but is being decimated by dementia, parkinsons, and other neurologic disorders.  I think it's important to realize that these disorders often do not shorten lives, but leave family members exhausted by decades of intensive caregiving and medical expenses.  In addition to the patient's grueling suffering.  Cancer is not the only health hazard on the planet, and at least in my RL budget, giving is a zero-sum game.  My RL donations dwarf my SL budget, and I have to prioritize.

 

[Blush Bravin]

I do my charitable giving directly to my favorite organizations through RL avenues. But I also spend an awful lot of money in SL shopping. So when I'm deciding where to spend my money I will absolutely choose to shop a charitable event over a regular shopping event where all the money goes to the creator/organizers. I'm not happy about the amount some organizations use for running said organization but that doesn't mean that they don't still do good work or that the money they raise doesn't help thousands who could not possibly carry the burden alone. Sure you can choose to take a negative outlook but who does that really help? Do you think for a moment your complaining about a CEO's annual salary here in the forums is going to change anything? Why not choose to support the efforts of your fellow residents? 

[Cajsa Lilliehook]

As someone whose professional career was in social and economic justice organizing, I am always frustrated by the nonsense promulgated by folks who judge nonprofits by how they spend rather than what they accomplish. People say nonprofits need to be run like a business, but nonprofits could never be so profligate. For-profits are praised for spending on marketing while nonprofits are castigated, but without marketing, they cannot grow and they will fail. Dan Pallotta has a tremendous Ted Talk on Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship.

Here's the thing. People are taught shame about money. No one talks about money. Asking for money is embarrassing and covered in shame. No one wants to be a beggar, right? But what is an IPO, it's asking for money. Politicians and wealthy corporate leaders have no problems asking for money. They are not taught shame about asking for money, so that's where the money goes. The same works for marketing. Businesses market, but nonprofits that market are attacked for misspending money. This means that nonprofits can never challenge real power. These ideas about what nonprofits can do are all designed to make sure that nonprofits never challenge real power. 

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Speaking as a British survivor of cancer, I am not going to complain about anyone raising funds for kids (or adults, come to that) in any country who are fighting that disease.     

 

[Patch Linden]

 

Do you see this?  ^^

That's what I felt when I woke up this morning and read the lot of ya and your postings of nonsense dragging down what should have been a well intentioned thread.  Shame on some of you who had to sully it with off-topic personal diatribes and attacks.  You know who you are.  I've pinned this post both as a blatant reminder that the negativity will not be tolerated and to make sure the message from the American Cancer Society, one of our corporate partners is seen prominently.