Hair Fair 2013 – Thank You

Hair Fair 2013 closed its sims on the 28th, which means we now have all the work behind the scenes of returning everything, and getting all the wonderful donations raised to Wigs for Kids. This can sometimes take a few weeks, due to the limitations of Second Life’s cashing out limits, but we always do it as quickly as we can. I have already contacted Wigs for Kids, and they are so supportive and excited about the total we have raised this year. They wanted to express their sorrow in not being able to log in this year, as they have in years past, but with their own Zoo walk taking place, they were very busy themselves, but did send all their heartfelt thanks to me on Skype ♥.

Now for some other heartfelt thank you’s.

Hair Fair Designers: Without your generosity and amazing creations, your dedication to this event, and your overall enthusiasm every year, this event would not be the highlight of the year for many Second Life residents as it is. We have loved watching many of you grow and change over the years you have participated in this event, some of you going away and returning years later. The NEW stores that have launched with us, and the stores that have joined us for the very first time. All of you are what makes this event an amazing display of talent and generosity. Thank you so much from myself, the Hair Fair Committee and Wigs for Kids.

Hair Fair Committee : Over the 8 years of Hair Fair, the committee has changed many times. Everyone that has ever taken part in helping, have shaped what it is today. Some have gone and returned.

Fiachra Lach: Returned to help this year and helped me make the first ever bandanas in 2007, and helped every year until 2010. He has always been there behind the scenes, and added his fun whether it be balloons that bounce you high into the sky, or this years lovely Brickness Monsters. He also ran around the sims the week prior and helped Whimsy remove all the pips hiding under the bricks to make the event as lag free and load minimal as possible.

Whimsy Winx joined us in 2009 and has been a huge help in all the years since. She works side by side with me every year, and since 2011 she has been a huge input in the design aspect of the event. She has a way of taking prims and turning them into something magical, and made bricks into something fun and playful this year. She helps with the flickr groups, the admin, and just everything else that needs doing.

Mel Vanbeeck : He is my rock, my everything all year around, but when it comes to Hair Fair it would not happen without his fantastic work and dedication to it. He has built the last three years builds, but has been my anchor since 2008. He has also been scripting Hair Fair since 2010 and it is because of his brilliance that we run a very smooth event. The ridable prims, are his work, the Bricks this year that were all true to shape and scale, were just an amazing job. He takes our crazy and makes it possible each and every year, and this year even added more in the line of beauty by creating the base mesh bandanas that doubled our bandana sales from previous years.

These people are incredible, and I thank them with all of my heart.

Anessa Stine and Kavar Cleanslate : Both of these lovely people, Anessa of DCNY and Kavar of Exile, have donated their items to Hair Fair full perms so that we can create Low Lag outfits for everyone to wear. The giving nature of that, and also the trust placed in us by them both, is a great honor to the event. I hope that everyone gets a chance to visit their in world stores whenever they are in need of really beautiful works.

Bandana Creators : In 2007 I had an idea, and it was through the beautiful acceptance and excitement that is Second Lifes community that this idea became a tradition. It makes me so proud to be part of a community that can embrace such a thing, and make it their own. Bandana day is not only a way to show we care on one day, but it is the weeks leading up to the event, that shows genuine love and care from people not only in the Hair world, but all across the grid. Thank you for all of the fun and quirky bandanas that get made, and sold then to add to the amazing total we are able to send Wigs for Kids.

This years Bandanas & Donations kiosk total is L$269,366 

Kiosk & Direct Donations : Also in 2007 when attending to the Bandana areas, I got asked how to donate only, if people did not find hair to their liking. The next year the donation kiosk was set in place, and every year since, we have been lucky to have people drop whatever they could into that, if they were not able to find hair or didn’t have enough to purchase, or just wanted to drop a larger amount as a donation into it. We are truly thankful for all donations big and small.

This years largest single donation though was from caoimhe Lionheart who auctioned her shape for Wigs for Kids and raised L56502 which she donated directly to CharitySasy String. Thank you so much for that, to not only Caoimhe, but all of the people that rallied around to make that donation amount possible.

Bloggers : To all the bloggers that made this event reach thousands of Second Life residents, we are truly thankful. Whether early access, or just making it over to the event during its time, what you did in your posts was incredibly well received, by the designers you featured and everyone involved, thank you so much for your generosity of time and participation in this event.

Firestorm : I would like to send a big thank you to the Firestorm viewer people that put us on the log in screen this year. It was important to me that we did that from the second week, as in past years its always the last days people hear about us for the first time. This ensured that everyone that used that viewer, could know we existed and not miss the chance to help us help Wigs for Kids. It was really an honore to have that spot on the log in, and we thank all of Firestorm for that.

Linden Lab : Not only do I want to thank Linden Lab for allowing the hiring of land as a venue space for events such as Hair Fair. We have hired from them the past three years. But also for the help and support they give during the event, with helping us get offline sims back online. For the support they have shown with the Destination Guide….but also for giving us this virtual world that allows people from all over the world the chance to do some good. Second Life residents are an amazing community, that grows every single day. People may join SL for different reasons, but they often come together for one, to care and help others. So thank you Linden Lab for that ability.

Wigs for Kids : Thank you to all of Wigs for Kids, for doing what you do every day, and allowing the Second Life community the opportunity to help in what way we can. Thank you for the support and the contact you make with us in the months leading up to the event. The support you show on your website, that makes us very proud. Thank you all for being an open and supportive organisation, that embraces what we do here in Second Life, it really means a lot to us.

Second Life Hair Fair 2013 Total Donations amount :

Hair Sales Donations : L$3,887,885

Bandana Sales, Kiosk and Private Donations : L$269,366 

Total : L 4,157,251

Once we sell the lindens and turn them into USD, and then send to Wigs for Kids, the total will change due to fees and charges. The total sent will be posted with receipts in the next few weeks as usual, thank you.