Today I wanted to do a special post about an event I recently participated in. It's one that I'm very passionate about; so passionate, in fact, that I included it in Treebound. Here's the excerpt:
Within the room Tom could see a desk liberally coated with more of Flynn's notes. In the middle of the desk stood a computer monitor, upon which a massive number of short people with bright pink hair were inexplicably running together in a video game.
"The Gnome Run," Flynn offered by way of explanation as he settled onto an armchair across from the couch. Seeing Tom's raised eyebrow he continued, "We raise awareness for breast cancer by running on toons with pink hair." When Tom continued to look confused, the author laughed and raised his hands. "Nevermind. It's a gamer thing. What brings you by?"
If you read my books, you probably know that Flynn is a huge geek. He drops movie references and quotes every chance that he gets. He's also a big fan of video games...including World of Warcraft.
The Gnome Run which Flynn is participating in is an event started by World of Warcraft players years ago. It's also been called The Running of the Gnomes, or The Great Gnomeregan Run. It took place on October 14th. The event was started as a charity run to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer. Those who choose to participate create a level 1 gnome character with bright pink hair. As a group, all of the gnomes run across one of the continents in the game.
(For those who play WoW: The run begins in Gnomeregan. All of the gnomes run to Ironforge, where they take the tram to Stormwind. From there, they run through Elwynn Forest, across a river to Duskwood and Darkshire, then take the path to Stranglethorn Vale. The run ends in Booty Bay.)
(For those who don't play WoW: The run takes about half an hour to complete. Low level characters run through high level zones, where one hit from an enemy can kill them. Higher level characters often take place in the run as well, protecting the low level gnomes from any dangers. The run ends in a pirate city, where everyone gathers together to celebrate.)
The Gnome Run was a huge hit its first year, and raised a lot of money for breast cancer. Year after year, the gaming community has continued to organize and implement the run inside World of Warcraft. It has grown through the years, with more money being donated each time.
This year, World of Warcraft chose to officially recognize the holiday and include it as an official event in-game. Here's a look at what it was like (complete with epic music):
This was the first year that I participated in the Gnome Run. I logged on about four hours before the main run, and completed the course by myself. (I had a wedding to attend, so I couldn't make the primary event.) When I created a character, I found myself surrounded by pink-haired gnomes. They were all waiting for the event to start. Large groups were forming, everyone was talking, and there was a huge sense of community. Higher level characters had created neon pink shirts and were giving them away for free, so that all those participating in the run could be really, really pink.
There were hundreds of gnomes there. I'm sure there were more four hours later. It's also worth noting that I was on just one realm, and that many others also had gathering of gnomes. Tens of thousands of people participated in the event.
This is the Gnome Run which Flynn participated in. It's also part of why I love World of Warcraft, and the gaming community, so much.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the inside look at Chosen of the Gods: Treebound.
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