West of Ireland Estate Celebrates Third Anniversary in Second Life

Here’s a sneak preview for our readers … for the March 2010 issue of Prim Perfect, we will be featuring the beautiful West of Ireland sims … and they are getting ready to party already!

Well, actually, that isn’t quite true … they have celebrations of their own, regardless of Prim Perfect!  We’ve receved a press release that tells more …

In a virtual world where the standard virtual day lasts four hours, romances typically lasts three months, and Residents who exist for more than a year are considered “old-timers” it is remarkable for any venue or simulation (sim) to be able to celebrate a third anniversary.  Yet that is exactly what the West of Ireland (WOI) charity estate is about to do: celebrate its third birthday with a weekend of dancing,  DJs, live music, storytelling, and a treasure hunt embracing the joy of Celtic life in Second Life (SL) while raising funds benefiting the real world charity Project Children.

From February 26th through February 28th, WOI will be blowing out three big birthday candles.  It will begin on Friday with a Birthday Dance in the Glen at 6pm SLT featuring Tauri Tigerpaw live for the first hour followed by popular DJ Sparrow Letov.  Saturday morning will find the estate’s five public sims littered with two dozen miniature birthday cakes for a Birthday Treasure Hunt filled with surprises.  Live music and DJs will perform through the weekend, and three giant Birthday cakes will be located on the main West of Ireland sim dispensing cake and stout to birthday revelers.  All performers and artists featured at the WOI are volunteers who perform free for the SL public, with donations at all events accepted to benefit Project Children.

“We have learned so much in three years about how to build a successful non-profit business model in Second Life,” said CEO Sioban McMahon.  “It is a source of great pride for us that we pay for all sim expenses through rents and other means of direct commerce so that when folks make a donation at an event we can say with 100% confidence that their generosity is directly benefiting the cause.”  In 2009 $7,725 U.S. was sent to Project Children as a result of WOI Second Life fundraising activities.

The WOI Birthday weekend is a warm up for the West of Ireland’s signature celebration: The Festival of Saint Patrick.  The annual event features art, music, literature and special events all in an atmosphere of energetic Celtic fun.  Plans underway for this year also include a fashion show by “Touch of Ireland” designer AliciaKay Kilara, a block buster auction event in the Celtic Cross Quay with donated creations by notable SL designers and creators, the culmination of a Surfboard Design Competition, and the dedication of a new wing of the Library and Cultural Center. The 2010 festival will commence just one week after the estate’s birthday celebration and will continue through March 21^st.

For information on the West of Ireland estate and the Events Calendar: www.irelandsl.org

The event schedule for the Birthday Celebration weekend is also featured at the Festival & Special Event page of the West of Ireland website: http://www.irelandsl.org/the-festival-of-saint-patrick/

Useful SLURLS:

The Glen… http://slurl.com/secondlife/West%20of%20Ireland/89/112/24
Nancy Blake’s Pub … http://slurl.com/secondlife/West%20of%20Ireland/167/117/25

The West of Ireland is a Second Life charity estate created to support the programs of the South Texas Celtic Music Association (STCMA), a recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in the United States. Additionally, the West of Ireland has been approved by Linden Labs, the creators of Second Life, as a certified nonprofit.

The mission of the West of Ireland is to promote Irish and Celtic culture within Second Life and raise awareness of Project Children, while providing guests and community members with an entertaining and welcoming environment and to raise funds for Project Children.

Project Children is an international organization that takes children from Northern Ireland on summer trips to stay with host families in the United States. Catholic and Protestant children are brought together in a calm and multi-cultural environment in an effort to overcome the stronghold of prejudices that have burdened Northern Ireland for so long. The South Texas Celtic Music Association (STCMA) raises funds for Project Children at its annual Celtic Music Festival and through the Second Life West of Ireland charity estate to pay the transportation costs for children participating in Project Children.

For information on Project Children: http://www.projectchildren.org