I'm going to preface this sponsor shout-out by saying that it is really hard to write about them while resisting the urge to drop everything and run home to play Guild Wars. For you, and for the children, I will persevere.
Shout out to ArenaNet, one of our fabulous prize sponsors this year!
The folks at ArenaNet believe that video games are an art form, a philosophy that is readily apparent in the visual spectacle that is the Guild Wars franchise. Thank you, ArenaNet, for your support! Now, if anybody needs me, I'll be at my gaming PC.
We hope you've got your loins girded, because it's time for the LAAAAATE NIGHT DUUUUUUB FIGHT!!
We hope you're ready and excited! This will be a wild ride!
This is one of the MOST anticipated live auctions every year: A one of a kind HARDCOVER copy of the 2024 Desert Bus Photobook!!
This live auction will be happening at 7:00pm PST TONIGHT!!
The only thing we ask of you is to make sure you've checked some things...
1) Be in chat! You bid in chat, and they will help you understand the commands needed to do it correctly. Please listen to mods, and don't make fake bids!
2) HAVE A DONOR ACCOUNT! Seriously. We can't give you anything if we don't have your information. This includes your phone number, which is needed for shipping purposes. We promise we don't do anything with your info!
3) Connect your donor account to your twitch account. It needs to be connected for your bids to be acknowledged, so if it's not you can bid all you want but bidbot will ignore you...and we don't want to make bidbot angry. Or Ashton. Or Fugi. OR ERIKA! So make sure you're doing this right.
Lights! Camera! Still-frame! As we bus into 2025 it is nice to look back in our rearview mirror at all the glorious times before, and YOU can join us in reminiscing about Desert Bus 2024 with this glorious, limited edition HARDCOVER Desert Bus 2024 photobook. Our fabulous resident photographer Kolin Toney has collected the cream of the crop and had them printed in an 84 page photography book. It will remind you of all the goofs, gags, and good that happened last year, as well as share a glimpse of behind the scenes as well.Not only do you get one of the few hardcover copies of the Photobook but it will also come signed by all the crew in-person at Desert Bus 2025!
This is it: the final tangible Desert Bus for Hope silent auction lot.
And it's incredible.
If you've been sitting on a warchest, now is the time to bust it open and bid (responsibly!) on an absolute masterpiece in fibre arts: QWLTline: A Tribute to Nsburg, by superstar artist and longtime friend of the bus Frozencapybara.
Like last year, we'll be using the Vickrey Auction system to run all of our silent auctions; check out our information post from last year to learn how that works.
The bidding will be open from 6 pm to 2 am PST, and trust me, you don't want to sleep on this one. (Well, I suppose you can sleep on the quilt itself if you win it. But you have to bid on it first!) Best of luck from Nsburg!
... and we miss you already. Sad face!
BUT! We intend to go out with a bang! We've got some exciting things planned tonight.
How about a little ring-a-ding-ding with a REAL LIVE AUCTION?!
Have your donor accounts at the ready to bid on the rare and beauteous Desert Bus 2024 Hardcover Photobook! The auction starts at 7 pm PST.
Live Auctions are run in our Twitch channel chat over at twitch.tv/desertbus. In order to participate in Live Auctions, you'll need to sign up for a Donor Account, then link it to your Twitch account. You can do so from the Donor Account page here on desertbus.org. If you're bidding, watch the chat for updates, as the stream may be on a delay!
Also on tonight, as a treat: how about a little Late Night Dub Fight?!
And, of course, prizes galore!
Giveaways:
Silent Auction:
We're really excited to spend time with you one last time before we hang up our incredibly stylish hats for the year. See you soon!
It was so nice having you all here with us today! This week has been a wild ride, and we appreciate you all being here with us. As a final hurrah from Alpha Flight, please enjoy this delightful collection of gifs from today! We look forward to seeing you at Omega, and again next year for our 20th anniversary!!
Calling all Destiny players! If you have ever wanted to own a real piece of rhe game, this is a perfect giveaway! This Sunshot Hand Cannon from Destiny 2 could be yours, all you have to do is donate $8.28 or multiples thereof by 5:45pm PST for a chance to win!
This amazing replica of the Sunshot hand cannon from Destiny 2 was lovingly created by the talented artists at Bungie. It features the intricate details of the in-game model along with some expertly rendered weathering and heat bloom. The Sunshot also comes with a glass topped display case.
And while we're at it, I want to also thank Bungie for their amazing contributions to Desert Bus for Hope.
If you're gonna take the leap, do it with Bungie! These thrill-seeking game makers have been staunch supporters of Desert Bus, and with this year's support being yet another beautiful replica, they continue to impress us with their work.
Bungie is a studio that's changed the game quite literally with entries like Halo and Destiny, and that now has their ambitious gaze set on the future with Marathon. Thank you again for sharing the fruits of your well-earned success by supporting Desert Bus!
We're almost out of silent auctions, and these two are about to run out of time for bidding! Both items' auction times end at 6pm PST, so keep an eye on them if you want to win!
First up is this duo of Final Fantasy Critter Cohorts! This is your chance to invite a pair of said icons into your home, in plushie form! The Moogle measures approximately 33cm (13in) when sitting, (or 52cm (20.5in) from toe to tip), and features the trademark nose, wings, and antenna. This trusty companion is ready to carry some mail or just be held close while you cast Firaga on an unsuspecting fiend. The Tonberry is approximately 31.5cm (12.5in) tall and comes fully equipped with its trusty lantern and chef's knife, and can raise and lower its hood. We have also been assured that it will not be overly aggressive in its new home.
The second item we have are these Street Fighter Pixel Art Lacework pieces! The lace was crafted using a process called tatting, which involves knotting cotton thread into small interconnected rings. Each ring is made from twelve knots, and in total both pieces contain 2634 rings. The character designs are re-coloured sprites from the game 'SNK Vs Capcom: The Match of the Millennium' released on the Neo-Geo Pocket Colour. Separating the two combatants is the iconic 'It was a Tuesday' quote by Raul Julia. The laceworks are mounted onto sturdy black card which measures 20" by 10".
Our next giveaway is a really unique one: You and three of your friends will get to be ran through newest Kathleen's Pizzamas campaign.
Last year, Kathleen was asked to write a custom adventure module for the fundraiser, and it was such a success that they asked her to write a sequel! Pizzamas: The Second Slice is that sequel, and Kathleen has once again offered up her time to run that module for the lucky winner of this giveaway! It's packed with not one but TWO message boards!
If you want a chance to win this amazing prize with Kathleen, then donate $7.22 or multiples thereof by 4:20pm PST!