Archive for 2022
October 1, 2022 5:20 pm
Posted by: Andrew
Max, Cori, Ian, and Andrew wait in the hallway outside the main studio. Everyone is in a red Star Trek TNG command uniform except for Andrew, who is wearing an inflatable t-rex costume. Max is giving the thumbs up sign in the foreground.

Photo by Graham Stark

I know we’re all a bit distracted with Hallowe’en Season kicking off today, but we’ve got one other major ‘holiday’ on our minds: Desert Bus 2022 is barely 40 days away!! We can’t wait for it to start and also we have so much work left to do, so let’s get started.

With #DB2022 fast approaching in yet another unusual year, we once again want to provide an update for you on this year’s event structure. As with the last couple years, our first and foremost priority is the safety of all of our team members and ensuring that we’re following all applicable health regulations here in the province of BC. Things are definitely looking up compared to the last couple years, but we still want to ensure we’re remaining safe & accessible. We’ve also been able to learn a lot from how well LoadingReadyRun’s precautions and policies have been working as they’ve returned to live broadcasting from the Moonbase.

We’ll be adopting a similar hybrid model to last year, but with three shifts broadcasting in person this year & one shift remaining remote. Alpha Flight, Nightwatch, and Dawnguard will be broadcasting in person this year, with Zeta Shift broadcasting remotely in a similar format to previous years. We’re not returning to a full-scale event this year but we’re looking forward to welcoming more of our volunteers back to participate in person, while allowing folks to still participate remotely if they prefer.

As with last year, a few of our volunteers both in front of & behind the cameras will be moving around to different shifts. Expect to see some fun new combos of people working together! We know you’re excited to learn more, and we’ll have more to share about shift lineups during the lead-up to the event.

We’ve all gotten our vaccinations and our boosters, and we’ll be taking additional precautions both in the run-up to & during the event. We’re working hard to make sure we’re putting on the best event possible while ensuring the comfort and safety of all our volunteers. We’re continuing to follow the latest provincial health guidance available and will adjust our plans as needed.

As always, we are endlessly grateful for your patience and understanding. We think we’ve done some of our best work ever in the last couple years and we’re looking forward to doing it all over again. Don’t forget our start date & time will be a little bit different this year as we kick off our 2022 run at 2pm Pacific on Saturday November 12th!

And yes, Desert Bus is a bit different every year, but it’s also the same every year; No matter what it is, it’ll be something incredible that we’re all going to make, together.

May 8, 2022 2:07 pm
Posted by: Andrew

Desert Bus for Hope 2022 Craft-Along Submissions are now Live!

Do you paint? Sew? Crochet? Use found objects to create adorable sculptures of creatures and characters from your favourite games? Any number of other things that one can consider crafty? Are you interested in being a part of this year’s Desert Bus? Well I have good news for you, because it’s that time again!

As of today, May 8th, submissions for the Desert Bus 2022 Craft-Along are now officially open. We’re inviting crafters of all backgrounds to consider crafting & donating a wonderful prize to help Desert Bus For Hope raise money for Child’s Play this year. Crafters will have until May 29th to get their proposals in, so that we can review what folks are interested in doing & get back to you soon with enough time to complete your crafts. We’re excited to see what our community comes up with, but because we get so many incredible applications, submissions will be limited to one item per crafter. We appreciate the enthusiasm, but we’d like everyone to have a chance.

We’re hoping to have all submissions reviewed & provide our wonderful crafters with a response by June 6th. Once that’s sorted, our accepted crafters can start crafting those masterpieces! The deadline for receipt of finished crafts this year will be September 30th. The earlier you can get your item in, the easier you make things for our prize team!

If you’re new to the Craft-Along, and have a great idea for a craft, the process is simple: just click here to get to the Craft-Along submissions page and fill out the form!  We’ll need your contact information, a description of your proposed craft, and a few other pieces of info.

The Desert Bus For Hope Craft-Along community is full of incredibly kind and gifted people who give so much of themselves, and for that we continue to be eternally grateful. It’s folks like you who make Desert Bus what it is, a positive gathering of people from across the world to help kids be kids.

The entire Desert Bus team thanks you, and we can’t wait to see all the incredible work you put together this year!

Flags

April 27, 2022 11:21 pm
Posted by: Matthews
Posted by btetta.

Posted by btetta.

We now have DB2021 merch available for our fans in the EU and UK!!!

Desert Bus for Hope will be offering its 2021 Merch Collection for sale to customers exclusively in the UK and EU, starting on May 2nd 2022 at 15:00 UTC, at store.desertbus.org

 

And now, a word from our Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Why is the Desert Bus for Hope 2021 Merch Collection being offered again?

A: During DBfH 2021, shipping to the UK and EU was disabled for all products on the LoadingReadyRun Store, which includes merch for Desert Bus for Hope. So UK and EU customers could not purchase anything from the store due to the changes in the VAT collection laws. We have, however, found a solution for our fans in the UK and EU.

Because of the VAT laws in UK and EU countries, retailers normally have to collect and remit VAT at point-of-purchase (usually along with customs fees, duties, and other fees involved in shipping). However, a retailer can instead choose to ship a product without collecting VAT (and duties, etc.) and the country’s customs agency will hold the package, assess the taxes/fees, and collect them directly from the customer before releasing the package. This will likely also include a holding fee from the post office for managing the duty. This process is called shipping “Delivery Duty Unpaid” and we will be shipping all packages to the UK and EU as DDU.

Q: I live in the UK or EU. How much will I be paying for shipping/taxes/duties/customs fees/etc.?

A: All packages are shipped to the UK and EU Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU), so we do not have any estimates on what you will be paying. Unfortunately, we’re not able to calculate that for you.

Q: Why is the Desert Bus Merch collection open ONLY to UK and EU customers?

A: We held a percentage of merch items back from the initial sale, so that UK and EU fans would have a chance to purchase merch at a later date. Since they weren’t able to purchase anything during the run itself, it’s only fair to give them their own Exclusive Merch Window.

Q: If you have merch left over, what will happen to it?

A: We like to sell as much merch as possible, so we will make it available at a later date TBD to all customers worldwide (or at least the ones our fulfillment company can legally ship to).

Q: What merch does this include?

A: This includes the pin, poster, playmat, DBloon, and water bottle offered during the 2021 run, plus the USS Tucson playmat and poster. This also includes other miscellaneous Desert Bus merchandise from previous years that we still have in stock.

Q: Does this include the 2021 T-shirts?

A: Unfortunately, no. The T-shirts are produced and sold independently by Fangamer and are not offered through the LoadingReadyRun Store.

Q: Can I bundle this up with other LoadingReadyRun merchandise?

A: It’s all from the same store, so yes, you can. Bundle away!

Q: How long will this merch be on sale for?

A: That’s a very good question, and one I (Andrew) really should have asked Beej before posting this in the middle of the night. I can now confirm that sales will open for one week!

Thank you all for your patience while we got this figured out!! We’re so glad we can offer our UK and EU fans the merch they have been craving for so long!!

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