We'd like to take a moment to thank one of our sponsors of this year's event: Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms!

Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms is a Dungeons & Dragons strategy video game that brings together D&D characters from novels, adventures, and multiple live streams into a single grand adventure.

And, in case you missed it, the developers have graciously provided us with a Desert Bus exclusive promo code for the game!

Thank you Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms for your continued support of Desert Bus for Hope!

Today on Alpha Flight, Victoria Tran (she/her) will be calling in, starting at 3:00pm PST!

Victoria Tran is the Community Director at Innersloth (creators of Among Us) and an organizer for Wholesome Games. Her other credits include being the Community Strategist for the game Unpacking, and was the Communications Director at Kitfox Games, for projects like Boyfriend Dungeon, Dwarf Fortress, Pupperazzi, and more.

She is constantly exploring ways to create kinder game community spaces, and you can find all her writing about community and marketing on https://www.victoriatran.com/. She also sends out a monthly Community Dev newsletter with skill testing activities and fun things she finds online.

We'll be playing a round of The Mystery Dating Game, and we need your help! Send a suggested title/job/prompt for a mystery contestant and we may use it on air. Send us your suggestions via email to askaquestion@desertbus.org before 2:45pm PST with the subject line "Dating Game Contestant." Please include the name you'd like to go by on air and your pronouns. One suggestion per submitter, please!

Also, got a question for Victoria? Send us your questions via email to askaquestion@desertbus.org before 2:45pm PST with the subject line "Victoria Tran Q&A." Please include the name you'd like to go by on air and your pronouns. One question per submitter, please!

You've heard of the Mystery Box – a giveaway of random stuff at the very end of the run that goes to one lucky person that's donated $5 or more during the event – but this year Alpha Flight has... the Mystery Suitcase! You might've seen this on the Giveaway page and wondered what this is, but no more!

The Mystery Suitcase is an assortment of items assembled and donated by Jacob during his adventures to Japan. And... it's also a suitcase! Wanna know what's in the suitcase? Well, it's a mystery... but here's a sneak peek:

Donate $6.51 (or multiples thereof) for a chance to win this prize. We'll run this giveaway until 1:25pm PST.

We started strong today with some football talk per usual, but swiftly moved into....COFFEE PONG! After watching a lovely highlight reel, we got to watch an intense match, where the air was filled with Carrot Milk cheers. And music. Some think it gave James super powers, others say it is Serge's weakness, but either way James won his first match of the year! So now the scores are...

We also ran our art challenge, to memorialize our dear lost Paul....gone to Zeta, never to be seen again probably.

Later on after many (like 2) TIRING dance parties, according to the long exhausted Serge, we played the FEUUUUUUD!

The Best Team, Serge Ashley and Liz, against The Bester Team, Carrie Ashton and Kate, went against each other in a battle of...wits? Or half guesses, that's your decision. But at the end of the day, the winner was...THE BEST TEAM! With a fully clean sweep. Apparently Ashley and Liz know a lot of lawyers.

And of course you can't forget the yearly check in with the Minecraft server!

We showed off our fancy clothes, cried together with Liz...it was just your typical Dawn Guard shift.

We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow, for more sports, and coffee sports, and game sports...minecraft sports? We're just the sports shift, now. Have a good day!

Remember, for the latest updates, stay tuned to desertbus.org. You can also catch up on the latest #DB2022 happenings around the web...

• Visit YouTube for the latest video highlights from the Video Strike Team (VST).
• Check out photos from this year at photos.desertbus.org.
• Be our friend on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
• And, of course, the live stream is always available at desertbus.org and twitch.tv/desertbus.

Earlier today during Dawn Guard, we challenged the community to submit their tributes to Paul, who is hanging out on Zeta Shift this year. Here's the winning submission, from MaybeTara:

Congratulations! Here are some additional runner-up submissions from the community:

by Ancient Chaos (pronoun agnostic)

by TeapotMimic

by TehAmelie (she/her)

by Dal (they/them)

by happy_harp (they/them)

Thank you so much to the generosity for many years from JagaSilk! Their tea ceremonies are a highlight every single year, and we're happy to have them back again. We love having them as a sponsor for Desert Bus for Hope.

JagaSilk was created (and is operated and owned) by Miyuki and Jared Nyberg. The adventure began in the summer of 2005, making deliveries from the public transit system.

"Importing maccha began with a little knowledge and a kernel of an idea. As the owners of JagaSilk, we have since been able to visit the tea garden where we import our organic maccha from, have our very own car (lol) and have had the opportunity to work with some very inspiring individuals and places. We hope to remain connected to our roots here in Victoria, BC, while exploring the world. We shall see where this journey takes us."

If you, like us, love Idle Champions, then you will definitely want to pay attention! They have been wonderful to work with and they have gifted our audience a code to unlock multiple characters and prizes in game!

Both of these lovely crafts are up for silent auction right now, but make sure you get in your bids before they go! These end at 10am PST!

First up we have these soft and cuddly Amigurumi based on the four shift banners! There's Zee, Winnie, Flynn, and Donnie. They love to be hugged and may or may not contain cat hair.

Second we have this Pokemon themed backpack! This beautifully detailed drawstring bag is put together with custom fabric, and boasts double resistance to water attacks with its vinyl bottom and waterproof canvas interior! Set it down anywhere and just wipe it clean, inside or out!

We'd like to thank the returning sponsor, Heroic Replicas! They continue their trend of sending RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING props for us to give to you! For charity! FOR THE CHILDREN!

Heroic Replicas specialize in accurate replicas of fantasy, sci-fi, action and adventure props and accessories. They make realistic props from the movies, shows, comics, and video games that make all of us the nerds we are now.

Their team has decades of experience in:

• Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing Design
• 3D CAD development with SolidWorks and 3D Printing
• CNC Machining (steel, wood, and plastics) and Laser Engraving
• Mold making – Silicone and sand molds for plastic and metal
• Laser, Water Jet, Plasma and Oxy-Flame profile cutting
• Grinding, sharpening, welding and fitting
• Heat treating, quenching, and tempering
• Carpentry and woodworking
• Leatherworking, hardening, braiding, and dying
• Concrete forms

Every year we like to do art challenges for this year's DB shirt, and today we begin the Dawn Guard version!

As you might know, we loss Paul to Zeta this year. Did he descent into madness, or did he finally get set free from this mortal coil and constant job of guarding the dawn, to ascend into the better place that is....Zeta? That's up for you to decide! So draw us your best tribute to Paul, ex-Dawn Guard, singer of shanties.

Submit your art to contests@desertbus.org with the subject line "Paul Tribute" by 10:30am PST for a chance to win!