So What is the Relay for Life?

That's not a rhetorical question. Even though I've been in SL for over three years (and on average over 20 hours a week), I really don't know how Relay for Life (RFL) works other than a vague idea that you donate money via the kiosks and it goes (eventually) to the American Cancer Society. I know there are teams, and walking around a very lovely set of sims is involved, and that many SL creators release RFL-exclusive items that you can buy to donate.

As I write this, I'm standing in front of a sort of Fortress of Solitude looking building in a sim called Heroes 2, that is apparently the core of the RFL sims this year. It seems that the "relay" part of the RFL was yesterday and many people walked a path through 30 sims that started here. I've got no idea how walking through these sims translates to L$ for cancer research. I couldn't find any signs or notecards to tell me that bit. Nor could I find a link to a SL RFL website with helpful information. Apparently there was a silent auction here yesterday.

For all it's ubiquitousness, RFL is very poorly publicized or explained. You can't help but be aware of it, but it's surprisingly hard to figure out how it works, when events are, or how they translate into L$ or US$ for cancer.

RFL badly needs to work on basic explanation.

Pretty sims though.

I was involved with the SL RFL last year as a Caregiver (my father had just been diagnosed with cancer at the time - and a year later is cancer free!!) and was on a team this year.

Basically, it is the SL version of the RL yearly "Relay for Life" by the American Cancer Society. I had never heard of it at all until last year, but apparently some of my relatives are very involved in it RL - raising money to donate. The hope is find a cure for cancer.

In SL, there are many teams who begin holding events around January for a 6-month period, culminating in the walk (this weekend). The events are all kinds of things - dancing, live DJs donating their time, auctions (our team auctioned an entire custom-built castle for example) - to raise $L. The kiosks you see belong to various teams and many businesses set them out as well.

The walk is very meaningful for those involved in RFL - especially cancer survivors and caretakers who do the first lap. Apparently this has been the custom in RL and translated over to SL. Last year a live feed was up (my partner and I did about 3 hours of the walk) and the talks/music/memorials were very moving.

To answer your question about how all the above donates money to the American Cancer Society: all the lindens raised in all different ways by all the team events, kiosks, etc. are somehow tallied by a central source (probably the in-world ACS), the lindens cashed into USD$ and sent to the ACS. I don't have the exact figure but I think last year SL raised something like over 300,000 USD.

I have some notecards I can drop on you that explains more when I go inworld.

Hope that helps

EDITED TO ADD: Interestingly, my father found an article in a magazine he gets about healing, etc. about the SL RFL. He gave the print article for me. Only the first paragraph or so is online, but you can find it here: http://www.healtoday.com/magazine/v2n1/connections/reachingout/index.php

I'm glad you asked that, Carl. I saw Desmond Shang's post and even after reading it I was Thanks for the explanation, Czari. I'll try to keep it on my radar for next year

I've walked through about four sims now. I'm guessing from the exhibit designs and the little boxes along the side of the road that you can dedicate, that the theme of this must be Heroes. So far it is beautiful and peaceful.

I'm struck at how well done the exhibits are so far. This is what the SL birthday celebration should have been--and maybe could have been if LL didn't decided to do it over at the last minute.

I was very honoured to be a (albeit tiny) part of RFL this year...the fairytale sim was delightful and I made a limited edition collection of fairies for it for people to collect for free as they participated. Player - my partner - and I walked around before it got busy...and were awed by the builds...the humour...we donated in the roadside boxes and left a dedication to people wed lost to cancer.

I was amazed by it all...Id love to do more next year. Maybe there could be a *bank* for items that SL companies donate to, items to auction, to sell etc...maybe there already is and i just am ignorant of the fact!

Thank you for raising this...I wanted to understand more about how it translates to real life too.....I do the UK "race for life" each year, its a women only 5km fun run (or not so fun when youre unfit and your girlfriends want to run and you dont lol) Its raises heaps for Cancer UK...It would be nice to do a joint fund rasier for both charities

Fai xx

Carl, here are some references -

/327/a4/271890/1.html

http://www.rflofsl.org/

Perhaps I can get some of the RFL people to say more about it.

My involvement was reasonably modest (Caledon has an RFL "team captain" who, like the other captains, poured his life into this for months) but it's an amazing validation of the decency and real capability of our "virtual" communities.

Erasmus, our team captain, had deeply thorough coverage of all of this using group notices for Caledon, but as we all know the group notices tool has had problems for large groups - you may not have gotten them.

I got a lot of them Desmond. I should have read more I guess, I tend to be fairly narrowly focused sometimes. I will follow up your URLs though.

I just think there are a lot of people like myself who have heard of RFL, even wandered around the sims, donated money to the kiosks, but don't understand how it works.

What's confusing is the fact that the fundraiser literally takes months. Most other fundraisers raise money over a short period of time. So for RFL, even if you are aware of it, it goes on for so long that you don't know when the fundraising event actually begins and ends.

I do think "compassion fatigue" is a bit of a problem with RFL. I have heard more than once, "Is it over yet?". And truth to be told, people do not focus on just one charity (usually), so I can understand a bit of irritation at the way one U.S. based charity seems to have cornered the market in Second Life.

That said, like many (perhaps most) of you here, I've lost people close to me to cancer, and have done the caretaker thing twice now for my RL husband. So it hits close to home, and I admit to being a bit emotional as I walked the course the other day. The sims were amazing, but for me, the most moving part were the hovertext luminaries on the side of the path with the many names of people who had waged, and sometimes lost, the good fight.

To all of you who put such amazing effort, time and money into this year's effort, I really only have two words:

Thank you.

Most welcome There is a general "Relay for Life" group one can join each year to get group notices without being on a team. Only thing with that, there are so many teams and so many events that the notices can be a bit overwhelming.

Totally agree! I wish the sims built for RFL could stay up until the next cycle begins, but they are likely on land used for other things the rest of the year.

Lots of news sites to find out what's going on too, all of these below cover what's going on in Second Life with varying degrees of thoroughness.

http://www.slnn.com (Second Life News Network)
http://www.metaversemessenger.com (Metaverse Messenger)
http://www.slcntv.com (Cable News Network)
http://www.slharold.com (SL Harold)

RFL has always been an enjoyable time to explore what other builders have done. I will never forget the Land Of Oz sim last year - it was very beautiful... So, explore it, donate some money and help a very worthy cause!

You posed a good question. I put out the kiosks this year, last year, and probably (I think) the year before that. I'm still not sure what the "relay" and the walk actually entails though. I just donate some money for cancer and put out the kiosks in case someone else might stumble on it too.

--Hugsy

As this is my first year with RFL, I too understand the need for more public information about these events.

We raised over $200,000.00 (USD)!! Translated it means more than 55 MILLION Lindens. All from kiosk donations, vendors and special events.

I did several laps during the relay - each one was moving and very special - because of the music (a lot of it was inspirational but not 'spiritual') and because of the interviews with members of RFL.

The Heroes sims will be taken down by the 22nd - please! If you can. Drop by to see them. They are amazing!

Amalia Broome
Infomaniac Racers
Heroes Sim 12
"Hero's Garden"

It would be kinda difficult to get publicity "right" for RFL... I don't know if it can be improved or not, but like other posters here, I had only the vaguest idea how this all worked. Cristalle's point about the long duration of the event is probably what had me so confused: Somebody mentions something RFL-related, RL intervenes, time passes... think: oh well, missed it for this year... then somebody mentions something else RFL-related ... time passes... etc. One sorta has to be already involved to grok the extended RFL "narrative structure," and without that understanding it's not all that obvious how or when to get involved.

It's not realistic to think the annual RFL drive could be shortened. And it's not that it doesn't get enough publicity (considering its duration, if publicity were at a fever-pitch throughout, people would really get "compassion fatigue". So I don't know how one would go about improving it; maybe it's already optimal, within the constraints of how people behave in virtual worlds. I don't really think doing more of the same (more blog mentions, more notecards, more URLs) would help much.

Completely idiosyncratically, it would have helped me get involved had I understood the chronology of the whole RFL drive. By the time the actual Relay "walk" happened, I'd saturated on RFL messages some months before, without a sense of which if any was a climax, or if RFL just went on forever and one could put off involvement (as I did ) indefinitely.

Good point.

There are many levels within RFL for involvement ranging from someone who sees the kiosks and drops in some L to joining one of the RFL teams and lots of points in between.

It seems the questions many are asking (which included me until I was personally involved) is "What are these kiosks for" and "Just how long does this relay thing run anyway?"

I don't have any ideas (working on my first Pepsi of the day) at how that message could be better disseminated to the SL community at large but apparently that would be a good thing.

Hi Folks,

I'm a member of the SL Cancer Survivors group and Team Relay Raiders.

If you'd like more information about the American Cancer Society(ACS) and Relay for Life(RFL), just go to the official website at:cancer.org. From there you can take a look at the link page for Relay for Life of Second Life.

This is the 4th year that Relay has been in Second Life. If you've ever noticed a white, slightly transparent notecard giver called 'SL Cancer Infonet' out somewhere, that has had all the basic information on ACS, RFL of SL, the SL Cancer Survivors Group,and the Caregivers Group.

The American Cancer Society has had its own sim since last year called 'ACS Island'. Once you arrive there, straight ahead is the Welcome Center with library stations that link you to RL websites for all kinds of help and information. Though I've heard that the island will be getting a remodel sometime soon. Hope Haven is where the Survivors and Caregivers groups hold chats once or twice a week. These chats are always listed in Search>Events>Support/Charities.

I know some of you think 6 months is rather long to have a fundraising campaign, but in RL the Relays go on all year round in every continent on the planet. And don't forget that it takes a lot of effort to raise funds, which do go entirely to ACS. You also have people working from different time zones in SL, this can complicate getting together to plan, lol.

Each Relay in Second Life has had a theme, this years was 'Heroes'. The sims you saw followed that theme and most had information or told a personal story relating to cancer. Cancerland was built by Hilde Hullbaloo to tell her own story of diagnosis and treatment. Some exhibits were a tribute or memorial to a friend or team member. Relay is also to celebrate the lives,courage, hope of those who have all been affected by cancer.

The point of all of this is to continue the battle against cancer. If it had not been for a program funded by ACS/RFL, I'd be most likely dead by almost 4 years now. I could also be like many survivors, deeply in debt for their treatment. I Relay to help lift the huge financial burden of treatment, enable those who need treatment to get it, support and counseling for the survivors and their caregivers, and continue efforts to educate.

I will pass on your comments to help make Relay for Life of Second Life better for next year. Or if you'd like, send notecards to me with your suggestions and I will get them to the organizers.

Excellent post, Cinders...thank you

~ ~ ~

Just returned from our team's (Passionate Redheads) campsite. Unfortunately RL issues kept me from participating the last two weeks, including the walk.

Anyway, our camp included a ride brought over and updated from the Halfway There Fair called "Love's Wild Ride." It was a Tunnel of Love, flume ride, roller coaster (with 360 loop), and more - all rolled into one. I was told 2 of our team members worked on it for 3 weeks almost 24/7. And that's just one ride in one camp of one team of the many, many in RFL, so the work involved is staggering.

I want to say, RFL is awe inspiring for me. I didn't get to do as much as I wanted this year, but I did get to do a lap. It.. words fail me yet again. I do hope the sims are still up, because I didn't get to explore them as fully as I'd like.

When I first joined and seen all the Kiosks, I didn't donate anything.. Figuring it was another type of scam. Especially, upon looking around it and clicking it, it didn't even share some sort of Notecard or Landmark. Both of which would be excellent features to add. Perhaps it does when you donate, that I'm not sure. I support RFL, but haven't donated to it just yet. Do plan on it, though.

I went to get my own Kiosk to place ground-level and at my Lounge's entrance, but apparently I'm too late for it so that confused me even more. It also requires billing information which, at reading that, I closed the page and have thusly decided to not get my own. Instead, I'll donate directly instead of through a SL kiosk. I figured all donated money gets sent to a few central SL accounts, gets sold, and then the RL money goes to the RFL. I didn't think that the Kiosk owner gets it and is responsible for selling it theirselves - which is what it seemed like to me.

I did read the website but, like others, I'm still terribly confused. If I had started this whole SL RFL, I'd be handing out the Kiosks like candy. Making it very easy, simple, and quick to get one. Like a vendor. Perhaps 'pay' some amount to get it, type your chosen name into a channel and viola! Or even sign up pain-free on a website someplace and get sent one. Perhaps I've overlooked it.

It just seems easier on the whole to donate directly, and safer too! I didn't even know there was an event till it was too late.. Seen no advertisements for it. SL RFL, to me, looks so exclusive!

I would have been confused about the Kiosk if I had been doing this on my own as well. Fortunately, being part of the RFL08 group and being on a RFL team, I could ask questions in group chat, plus was sent a kiosk with detailed instructions on setting it up.

It was very easy. The only thing I was a bit dubious of was the yellow drop down box asking for debit permissions when I first set it out at my shop. The info I received said this was needed for people to be able to donate (the money gets credited to my account then immediately debited by RFL - instaneously). It also said if there was any concern to use an alt to test it with like 1L on them. I did so...everything was fine, and from there on out had no further concern and never had any trouble with it.

The best thing for anyone to do who would like to be involved next year is to join the RFL09 group (it may be called something slightly different, but typing in RFL in groups will locate it). The people in that group are RFL pros and very, very helpful on any aspect of the event. One can be as little or as much involved as they want...or just join the group to get the event notices.

It just doesn't seem RIGHT to stop donating just because some event is over. People are still dieing of cancer, people are still being diagnosed with cancer. Why should we have to wait until next year to join? Someone will die today of cancer, and several will find themselves with cancer today. They can't wait until next year.

Malina,

You've always had the option of going to cancer.org and donating directly to the American Cancer Society. Relay for Life is just one method of raising funds and awareness.

Contact your RL local ACS office in your hometown, they'll be glad to answer any questions you may have.

The American Cancer Society and sister organizations world-wide don't ever stop. Relays go on almost every day somewhere in the world. "We fight until there is a cure" is more than just words to many of us. My path to helping is thru RFL of SL right now. I may not do very much, but I'll do what I can every year.

And inside the donation kiosks was a notecard giving information on RFL of SL's official recognition by ACS. There was also information about how all funds raised go entirely to ACS. I believe there was also a list on that notecard about who to contact about any questions or problems with the kiosks or vendors.

RFL of SL will do everything possible to improve things, but we need notecards with your suggestions. Like I said in my other thread here, just drop it on me and I'll pass it along to the correct person, just be sure to rename it something other than 'Notecard'.

Relay for Life of Second Life is usually every year in July. I promise to be here in Forums next summer to direct questions to the right dept head. Cross my heart as a former Girl Scout and Camp Fire Girl(WAAAY back when).

Have a good week everybody.

We had a lot of fun hosting a "Cherry Blossom Festival" on two of our new sims a month or so ago. According to the Team member organising it we raised L$450k. It was done really well, and obviously was for a good cause. A lot of creative minds gave their time to build a really neat feel to the event. We were happy to do our little part towards it.