In the beautiful city of Victoria, BC, where the gentle Pacific breeze whispers through the trees and a tight-knit community gathers with shared purpose, there exists a marathon like no other. It's a marathon that doesn't involve sprinting, long-distance running, or really any physical prowess at all. Instead, it's a test of endurance, camaraderie, and the ability to function on very little sleep.
Hello there and welcome to Desert Bus for Hope!
As the sun rises, we take our places, steering a bus and drinking our coffee. While most people are still tucked in their beds, we, the Dawn Guard, are gearing up for our shift. And we are just one of four teams that ensure Desert Bus for Hope keeps rolling 24 hours a day. But they come later, for I'm here to tell you about us. From 6am till high noon, we keep the virtual wheels turning, and it's a journey you won't want to miss.
Now! Join us as we shine a light on the dedicated members of the Dawn Guard.
Now, you may notice immediately there's a missing member of our usual crew. Our past site manager and organizer Serge has decided to step down and take the year off. So for now, my dears, you're stuck with all the C H A O S!!!!!!
Entertainers:
• James Turner is a long standing Desert Busian as well as one of the first Dawn Guard members. His love of Minecraft, game shows, and antagonizing Serge has built the shift into what it is today.
• Ashton Cummings is our silent killer of an entertainer. Originally behind the scenes as the web tech and all knowing admin of systems, he's made him way into our hearts and in front of your eyeballs.
• Kate Watt has been around for a long time, not just with Desert Bus itself but with LoadingReadyRun and the people who made it. Once known only as "Bill's Mom", she has been a mainstay and a beacon for all.
• Carrie Floyd is one half of the Youtube channel PlayFrame alongside her husband, Dan. With the humble beginnings of a guest who created quiet chaos, to a driver who created quiet chaos, and now to entertainer who is basically just chaos incarnate filled with coffee, her beautiful face is always ready to ruin your day, but like in a good way.
Broadcast:
• Sarah Mendiola has been with our Broadcast team for many years, and she's here as director to overwatch the shift, and be a real daredevil in the broadcast booth.
• Jen Carling is an amazing producer with super human graphic skills. She loves to fill people with random trivia and Star Trek.
Comms:
• Az Martin is on the comms team for blog, and they are currently writing this. I also do art stuff, and I'm a spooky witch who likes the moon a little too much. Please do not perceive me.
• Kelly Voorhaar is also on comms, but on social media. They are a long standing face at DB and very good at their job. Sometimes they like to dress up in kigarumis and spread chaos into their general surroundings.
Stagefriend:
• Matt Griffiths is our new stagefriend, and he's here to help keep the show rolling and organized. From picking challenges to reminding us that there’s another giveaway ready to go, the stagefriend keeps everything running smoothly.
Prizes and Shipping:
• Ashley Turner is a cool person with a weird husband. She works in shipping and has previously been our beloved Prize Mines Mistress. She has a cute dog name Jade, and loves to scream "AAAAAAFRICAAAAA" at the top of her lungs.
Site:
• Pete Smit is a newer addition to the DB team, joining us in 2019 as a site volunteer. Unfortunately a bunch of....stuff...happened, and we weren't able to have a "site" to have "volunteers" in! But we're happy he's joining us on Dawn Guard to take care of us when we clearly refuse to do it ourselves. Mostly making coffee, probably.
So prepare yourselves for a journey with us, and stay tuned! We'll be bringing you previews of the other three shifts that make Desert Bus for Hope the cozy place for us all.