4th Annual Fundaiser @ Junkyard Blues

From the first Blues for Autism fundraiser, Junkyard Blues has been a sponsor and committed supporter each year, staging a live music concerts and calling on it's large group of Dawgs & Dawgettes, and it's core of volunteers, the REAL Junkyard Blues Dreamgirls.

This year Kiff Clutterbuck & Dina Petty continued their tradition with a Saturday night concert starring English Jazz & Blues singer Gina Gracemount. Naturally, the Blues for Autism team was there with founder Magi McBride and event organizer Dillon Janus.

The concert and fundraiser all came together beautifully with people counts running above 70 all night. At one point the count went up to 80, spread across the Junkyard's two sim club area.

Before the fundraiser began, DJ Luci Bergbahn mixed heart felt remarks about autism and Blues for Autism with her fantastic Saturday night set.

This year's fundraiser concert was a little later in the evening than in the past, and among the people who gathered early where Dina, Magi (back row, blue dress) and Kiff. Far right in tux is organizer Dillon Janus.

Lively Gina Gracemount opened the show, bringing her English charm and specially blended set of songs to the Junkyard.

I counted 78 people in the Yard as Gina sang a deep, slow, sexy rendition of "The Beat Goes On". Gina who was new to the Junkyard showed remarkable talent.

Dina kept an eye on the BFA Kiosk as it swelled with donations, due in large measure to Reno Troncon who rarely chats in open chat, but on this night was the champion leading the call for donations. Bravo Reno!

Gina not only brought her talent to the Junkyard, she helped drive the donations. The largest donation of the night was L$30,000. Bravo!

Each year as the Junkyard Blues fundraiser draws near, everyone involve becomes nervous, nervous about how the economy will impact donations and if our bluesy family will continue to give as generously has they have in the past. And each year we are amazed when the fundraiser beats the previous year. However, beating last year's total, which smashed the previous year would be hard. Last year, Aurora Chadborne led the effort which reached L$105,000. At the time, everyone felt this might be an all time record.

This year's Junkyard Blues fundraiser raised an awesome L$117,431.

Thank you to Kiff & Dina and the bluesy community at Junkyard Blues! Special thanks to Gina Gracemount for giving of her time and talent to make this yet another record breaking year for Blues for Autism.

Blues for Autism grand total thus far: L$259,446

Next event is Tuesday, April 12th with ZZ Top and a Beach Babe contest, please check the Event Schedule for full details.

Arora Chadborne & Junkyard Blues

There aren't many real traditions in Second Life, but for the past three years Junkyard Blues has had a tradition of sponsoring and supporting the Blues for Autism fundraiser. And singer Arora Chadborne has given her amazing musical talent and financial support to make her benefit concert a huge success.

Arora Chadborne is the type of singer who makes you feel that she is singing to you personally. Last night, she performed as always, magnificently. She sang a wide range of songs from Faithfully by Journey to the Edda James classic At Last. For fun she threw in Going to Kansas City and for love she sang Love Me Tender. Arora's voice always strikes a cord with sweet resonant sound and flowing vibrato. As the concert hour ended and passed, despite a struggle with illness, Arora continued to rally and encourage the concert audience on to smash last year's tally of contributions.

Kiff & Dina were there as always and a huge crowd including so many of our Junkyard regulars, plus new friends as well. I counted nearly 60 people on the JY concert sim and another 25 on the JY club sim, and that Junkyard family was very generous.
(Photo of Kiff Clutterbuck, left)

According to Magi McBride, BFA founder, the final tally for the night was L$105,091. You just gotta love these Junkyard Dawgs! At the end of the day, the total contributions to Blues for Autism rose to L$793,272.
(Photo of Richardina Petty, left)

The audience was huge, nearly 85 people.

Arora Chadborne sang.

Arora spoke about the children and families affected by autism.

When the concert ended, Arora's goal of beating last year's total was achieved!

On behalf of the Blues for Autism organizing commitee, thank you Junkyard Dawgs!

by Yordie Sands

There Was Something In The Air Last Night

Yesterday afternoon, Yordie Sands opened her Japanese Garden to bluesy friends and the magnificent geishas from Little Yoshiwara. It was an off the beaten path locale for the blusey set, but many friends (over 30) came to visit, watch the geishas perform and contribute to the BFA 2009 kiosk. During the event, Magi announced that the contributions helped drive the grand total over L$500,000. This was a good sign of things to come.

Head Geisha (Okaasan) Xuemei Yiyuan does an impromptu performance for guests in the Garden hut, she was followed by geisha Masumi Manamiko. (Photo by Magi McBride)

Early in the evening, DJ Luci Bergbahn spun another one of her custom sets for an especially large Saturday night crowd at Junkyard Blues. Luci not only does a great job of spinning but she also has a way with the crowd that seemed to draw more and more dawgs to contribute to BFA. As the evening rolled on Steal Hawker offered to match the next L$10,000 donated, and this pulled Irongut McAllister right into the frey. Steal's matching funds helped drive the BFA grand total from L$501,000 to over L$540,000. And suddenly, the evening's goal for L$600,000 seemed to be within reach.

By the time the Ball and ArorA Chadborne's concert began at 8pm, there was definitely something in the air and it was truly wonderful. Maybe it was the huge crowd that was gathering, over 90 peeps by my count at one point. Maybe it was all the women and men in their lovely evening gowns and tuxedos. Maybe it was AurorA's amazing, amazing voice and the songs she sang to touch our hearts, like "Someone to Watch Over Me".

Regardless of what it was, wave after wave of contributions poured in. We passed the evenings goal and no sooner had we passed that goal another wave of contributions drove the total even higher. By the end of ArorA's concert there was this note in my log: "[2009/03/28 21:19] Magi McBride shouts: L$ 679,850". But there was still more to be tallied and a little later the final total reached L$703,000!

The beautiful ArorA begins the benefit ball with songs that only she can sing! (Photo by Yordie Sands)

More than 90 guests in attendance, women dressed in their loveliest gowns and the men in their tuxedos. (Photo by Yordie Sands)

Magi McBride, arms above her head, shouts,
"L$679,850" (photo by Yordie Sands)

And Kiff Clutterbuck, debonair and leading the applause, thank you for sponsoring this memorable event!








To conclude, I'll break into a chorus of "Fernando" by Abba, "There was something in the air that night..."...eh, nah, nah, no. Let's just say that the goal of L$600,000 was smashed by a hundred thousand lindens!

In a brief chat I had with Kiff Clutterbuck he told me, "This is the kind of thing that reminds us how many really decent people are in here."

And Magi McBride said, "I want to thank Kiff & Dina, ArorA, Luci and all the JY Dawgs for every linden that went to the effort."