Second Life Goes to the Dogs!

[Holly Miller]

On Saturday, June 20th join residents from all walks of Second Life will embark on a Vision Quest to celebrate the launch of Max the Virtual Guide Dog. With Max as their guide, they will follow clues, meet and interact with people, and navigate obstacles will the goal of writing stories about their adventures. Participants also have the option of writing from the perspective of a blind person or from the viewpoint of a guide dog.

The Quest will run for four days, and those wishing to have their stories considered for cash prizes should have their tales turned in by midnight on June 24th. The awards ceremony, will be held at 1:00 pm on June 27th where the winning stories will be read.

The Vision Quest is part of the larger series of activities, games, entertainment, keynote addresses, and panel discussions planned for Max's debut in Second Life on Helen Keller Day, June 27th. The overall theme and goal of the festivities is "inclusion for everyone in employment, education, enteratinment, and social engagement through Second Life. A wide range of creative and though provoking events are planned including: .

Keynotes by Keller Johnson Thompson (Helen Keller's great grandniece), Pathfinder Linden, and Marcie Roth (Executive Director of National Coalition for Disability Rights)
- Speakers and panel discussions on Education, Employment, Entertainment, and Social Engagment
- Guidedog Wheelchair Races
- Where's Max Flickr contest
- An Accessiblity Building Contest
- Sound Sculpture displays
- See with Sound presentations
- Dog Park Play with SL canines
- A Gold Mine Game
- 3D Wiki Game
- A "Style-Enabled" fashion show
- Guide Dog Memorial Park

For information on the Vision Quest, please see http://www.tvwsp.com/questing/visionquests.html or contact Jena Ball (aka Jenaia Morane in Second Life) at [e-mail].

For a full list of events and times, please contact Janyth Ussery (aka Saxet Uralia in Second Life) at [e-mail]