It has been so wonderful to see our community blossoming again after all the hurdles we've been through the last few years. There's no doubt in my mind that this site has the potential to be something truly special, not just because of the art or features, but because of all the wonderful people who gather here. While our obvious priorities right now are to release new items, fix up the site programming, and add new features, we have another priority - and that is to grow and improve our community. This is not something the staff can do alone, it's a long project that takes everyone pitching in to accomplish. However, I know it can be difficult trying to figure out 'well how does this include me?' so the purpose of this news post is to spotlight some ways that users can get more involved.

â—„CHARITIESâ–º

The purpose of our charities is to help new members and veteran members alike. Usually by providing free items or discount services, however there really aren't any limits on what form your gifting can take. For instance: I have seen avatar site charities that offered an avatar designed by the staff and one free item from that design to go along with it. I've also seen charities that help newbies get their first outfits. And currently we have a wonderful charity run by Aleah that is all about getting free hair! So there are many, many different possibilities to help one another out! If you have an idea for a charity, but lack funds to get it up and running, the staff and I are discussing a sort of "grant" opportunity to provide start up WS to new charities. I will be posting more about this in the charity forum once we get it all hashed out.

â—„C.A.G.E.R.â–º

Not to be confused with "kegger", C.A.G.E.R. stands for "Contests, Auctions, Giveaways, Events, and Raffles". Most of our events so far have been officially run by our Party King, Royal, but members can host events, too! This can be a good way to support a favorite charity, by donating a percentage (or all, if you're feeling really generous) of any entry fees or raffle ticket purchases. Or you can do it just for fun. To celebrate your birthday or another big occasion in your life. We may release some options to allow for site supported events that remain member run - such as allowing for FA items or pet designs to be created as prizes for a moderate fee. This is something the staff and I are also still discussing!

â—„NINJASâ–º

No, don't worry, we're not sicking trained assassins on anyone or anything. Ninjas refers to ninja gifting or gifting anonymously. These special individuals pass out gifts, run events, and sometimes even run charities. Basically, if you want to do good, but stay out of the spotlight, then a ninja account would be your alter ego! This is something we have been considering, however, there are things we would need to work out as this requires users to open a second account. We would want to privately keep a record of which ninja belongs to which user just to prevent any possible issues that might arise. Aleah has agreed to be part of this process, so she and I will continue to figure everything out. In the meantime, if you are interested in donning a ninja mask then please shoot myself or Aleah a PM to express your interest!

---

I believe that's everything I have for now. Thank you all so much for being part of this journey with us and for being so patient through what seems an endless transition! I know we're getting to a more stable place, bit by bit, and I'm excited to see us truly succeed with this project. As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or idea, don't hesitate to contact me!