Curious Kitties Booth at Rock Your Rack 2022! Event from October 1st ~ 16th
Pinkie Punker Dress – L$10 (100% Donation Hunt Item)
Nyanotech Hair [Type B] – Kandiez V3- L$0 (Limited Edition Freebie)
Pretty Pink Shine Shine Eyes – L$0 (Limited Edition Freebie)
City Horror Full Outfit Set – L$300 (100% Donation)
Stylish Newspaper Full Outfit Set – L$100 (50% Donation)
The City Horror Full Outfit Set & Stylish Newspaper Full Outfit Set are being displayed in the fashion show!
In 3 collaborative Fashion Shows:
Saturday, October 1, 2022 – 10am SLT
Sunday, October 9, 2022 – 10am SLT
Saturday, October 15, 2022 – 10am SLT
Check out Curious Kitties Booth here:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Pacific%20Haven/245/187/22
About Rock Your Rack
http://rockyourrack.wordpress.com
10 Years of Rock Your Rack
Rock Your Rack started in 2013 on just ¼ of a sim, with 34 designers, 4 DJ’s, 7 singers, 1 dance troupe, and five fashion shows making up the five day event. Jamee Sandalwood had a vision from the start, being a breast cancer survivor herself and diagnosed at the age of 38, to partner with the National Breast Cancer Foundation to provide mammograms and support for early detection of the dreaded disease. Early detection and decisions made with current treatment information available through the National Breast Cancer Foundation is what saved Jamee’s life and allows her to still be with us today. Because of this, she is driven to do this event every year to give back to the organization and help others that may be in her shoes. With the help of the Models Giving Back team that steps up each year to not only walk in fashion shows, but do most of the behind the scenes work, hosting of musical events, blogging and so much more, this event has become a fixture on the grid. One of our models came up with the title “Rock Your Rack” to name the event, and Lua Vendetta created the iconic logo and color scheme we used for the first 9 years of the event. Year 10 brings a refresh to the look and logo from another Models Giving Back model, SC Tracy. The talented individuals I have the privilege of working with on this event in unprecedented and I can truly say that without every single one of them, there is no way this event would have made it to 10 years.
Year two of the event, 2014 saw the designer participation grow to 66 designers at various levels of sponsorship now and the event move to a full sim for the first time. We added an entertainment complex including a small concert stage, DJ stage and a silent auction as well.
2015 was a year of huge growth for the event, still hovering at 65+ designers, but we moved to a two week event that included 8 fashion shows, a variety of entertainment from DJs to live singers to dancers, and included a the 10L Hunt for the first time. This hunt has become one of the most popular activities here at RYR each year. Be sure to go look for those hangers in the booths!
If we had to pick a year that put the event on the map so to speak, it was 2016. The partnership with so many creative individuals allowed us to move away from the décor and build we had used for the first three years. Every year since has seen a new build theme, and evolution of the entertainment complex with the addition of the amazing Brad Tylman to the Rock Your Rack build team. This was the year we saw the addition of tribute bands to the concert schedule thanks to the Hiess Project joining the event. Donations likewise also crossed the $2500 USD mark for the first time that year.
Another milestone was reached in 2017 with the addition of art to the event and the Kultivate Art Expo at Rock Your Rack. Thanks to the Kultivate team we were able to partner with 2D and 3D artists to also reach more of the SecondLife grid. The art show has steadily grown each year from 12 artists the first year to over 35 this 10th year.
In 2018 with some suggestions from participating designers we began to pick a theme for each year’s event. That year we celebrated “Music through the Decades” complete with a 70’s style runway, and booths with music themed décor throughout the event. Kultivate provided 50’s style diners for the art show and a spinning record for the music venue in the art area. We also welcomed three dance troupes to the event, and expanded the entertainment offerings to 36 different DJ, tribute band, dance, and live singer performances, many of whom still partner with us today in support of the event.
“Celebrate Diversity” was the theme in 2019 and saw different areas of the event representing different facets of life from the Copacabana fashion show runway to the shipping docks art show, the urban garden at the landing point by Digital Farm System, to the jungle theme DJ area. We added early access for our sponsors that year, 87 designers, 28 Artists, 54 musicians and performers, and 7 fashion shows made this one of the busiest years ever.
2020 brought a variety of challenges, as real life struggled with a global pandemic that made the event uncertain at the start. After things settled and everyone began to shift to a virtual environment for life in general, we actually saw a surge in the participation and support for the event. It was the perfect year to fit with our “Gardens of Hope” theme. Our partnership with Digital Farm System as the sim sponsor that year brought beautiful, lush gardens and waterfalls with seating areas to the landing point area with their décor, and you felt like you were walking through a tropical paradise throughout the rest of the event as well with tiki huts and waterfalls. Artist participation had the biggest growth that year with over 40 artists participating, along with 70+ designers, 72 musical performances and more. So what seemed a first like it would be a problem year, ended up seeing the event grow in many more ways than imagined, with donations passing the $3300 USD mark for the first time.
And 2021 was a continuation of that success with over $8000 USD raised and donated thanks to some connections made between our inworld DJ’s and their real life followers donating into our real life portal for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. “A New Beginning” it sure seemed to be for the event after almost 18 months of people being shuttered in their homes and looking for something to do that was meaningful and helped them feel normal once again. We had a wrecked plane at the landing point that an entire new society emerged from in the build from primitive to sophisticated, the walk through the event matched the way society had morphed over the previous 18 months. People wanted to get out and they did with traffic soaring during the event. We partnered with 39 artists, 60 designers, 67 musical performers for the most successful event to date.
So here we are. 10 years of Rock Your Rack in SecondLife, and we are “Takin’ It To the streets” this year with our old New York inspired build complete with central park and the Statue of Liberty looking on. We welcome this year: 36 Artists, 8 Media Partners, 42 DJ’s, 3 Tribute Bands performing 7 Tribute concerts, 2 Dance Performance Troupes, 24 live singers, 12 Music Event Hosts, the Spirit of BOSL Competition, 24 models walking in 6 fashion shows, 18 amazing bloggers, and the 60 designers/sponsors to the event. We know it’s going to be the best year ever!
Thank you doesn’t even go far enough to say how much I, Jamee, appreciate each and every person that has been a part of this event from 2013 until now. From the Models Giving Back team, which I won’t name you all, but you know who you are and what you have done for this event, to the sponsors, the scripters, the builders, the designers, the musicians, the artists and of course the visitors that come every year to shop and enjoy the event. Thank you! Thank you all for making this event what it is and showing your support for a very worthwhile cause. To Date we have donated over $22,000 USD to the National Breast Cancer Foundation making a difference in the lives of so many people in need.
However, there are a few people I have to name and publically thank……
Matt Thomson – my husband, love, support, and idea man – you have the patience of a saint and I love you more than you can possibly even know.
Brad Tylman – I’m so glad you took a look at my pitiful attempt at a concert stage back in 2015 and decided to help out. You amaze me every year with the evolution of the entertainment venues and I am deeply grateful for all the time you have given to this cause.
Isobel Belfire – you always think you don’t do much, but the things you do help me out so much.
SC Tracy – the logos and vision you had to re-brand us for this tenth year are just what we needed. Thank you for putting up with my random thoughts and coming up with something that defined this year’s event perfectly. All I had to do was say what I wanted and you figured it out. Thanks!
The Cute N Cuddly One – Thank you for updating the scripting on things and coming up with new ways to do it that are better than what I even suggested or needed in the first place.
The Entire Models Giving Back Team – you all have the heart of giving in so many ways, and even when I think I’m pushing you all and asking too much to pull this off, you come through without complaining and get it done. There is NO WAY I could do this without each and every one of you and what you are willing to do for the event. Many of you have been a part of this since 2013 and your passion for this event, and love of serving others is evident year after year. I see it, I appreciate you!So, let’s all TAKE IT TO THE STREETS and make Rock Your Rack 2022 the best year ever!
With Gratitute –
Jamee Sandalwood
Rock Your Rack Founder/CEO
Curious Kitties Update Blog 