Running of Da Bulls For Ezra
I noticed a few days ago that BRK was organizing another of his events, this one in memory of Ezra Chatterton, the young fellow who gave us Kyle and Ahab Wheathoof.
I had every intention of posting about this event in the hopes that a few of my readers might participate or, even better, donate to the Make A Wish Foundation. Unfortunately, I completely forgot that the event was scheduled for today, and by the time I got home this evening it was over.
On the other hand, perhaps it was for the best that I didn’t add any more people, since the ones that did participate were already just a little bit too much for the server …
(BRK has apologized for the trouble he inadvertently caused, but I don’t think we can properly blame him for anything. Our community is just too big-hearted for a single event on a single realm, is all.)
At any rate, whether you participated in the event or missed it, BRK is linking some very nice videos of it. In all honesty, watching the incredibly dense throng of Tauren avatars brought together in memory of someone that most of us never had the chance to meet … well, it gives me goosebumps. So watch … and donate.
23 Comments
1st? and its cool u had post 2 remember him and stuff…i remember reading about him and thinking “he made the same wish i wouldve”
It was a very amazing event. I was overjoyed to be able to run with everyone, and to see how 99% of people had the utmost respect for this event. (There were a few people I saw who spammed random and bad things in the general chat, but they were mostly drowned out by baby tauren bellowing: “For Ezra!”.)
wow, he must have been one happy kid, going to blizz and doing all those cool things. *A moment of silence*
hmm.i wonder if thats why mom was lagging badly this morning.kinda sad that i never got to thank that kid for the tb rep.it helps alot when farming for a kodo…
BRK acts the part of the loud mouth, but he really is a good guy. It was a good thing he did, even if it did break the server. *Chuckles*
Bravo, BRK. Bravo. What a lovely gesture.
Though I was not able to participate, I will definitely be making a donation to Make-a-Wish in memory of Ezra as soon as I am able to do so.
I was there. it was pretty amazing. one of the most impressive bits was before we started, folks started to identify the servers they came from. Some had entire guilds show up, create a tauren and join up just to support this. absolutely amazing.
when we started it there was some rubberbanding, but not bad. by the time we got to the crossroads, I had been punted to character screen about 3 times. pop right back in. I dismissed my pet because I figured it would help. got on the first boat – now THAT was impressive. :)
through STV I got dropped again about 3 or so times, then BRK announced that the GMs were requesting, then telling us we had to stop. he disbanded the raids and kept asking us to stop, or at least go to other locations, not all SW. In the first mass group we kept going, though folks were dropping out quite a lot by then. Lot’s of tagged and not-tagged Alliance met us along the way from STV through Westfall, more and more as we pasted through to Elwynn Forest. By this time the lag was terrible, and I just stopped on the bridge just before Goldshire to see if it would let up. Boom, dropped to login. Ok, I figured at this point the server hosed.
I think it was a grand idea, Epic. We got tabards that very closely represented the logo to Make A Wish Foundation (afterall, this was the purpose), and folks spammed on a VERY busy guild chat how they donated. I’m sure there was a huge spike in donations in Ezra’s name, as there should have been, it was Good.
Many folks said they’d keep those characters, many others offered to keep the guild alive if the original creators decided to disband – being proud of both the run and the purpose. amazing time, lemme tell ya. WAY more purposeful and fun than the gnome run.
an Epic event, certainly.
/shibumi
I love BRK and I love Mania. You two are — as near-sighted as this might make me — the only Hunter-related blogging I read. And you know why? It’s because of your personalities.
Your common love for pets in WoW says so much for your personality in real life. I don’t see how people can be SO MAD at BRK after the event; because it’s so clear he’s a great guy who loves his wife, this game, Hobbes, and so much more… including doing a great thing to get people to donate hundreds or even thousands of dollars in memory of a great little boy.
Some people just have huge hearts; others have black hearts.
My level 10 Tauren Hunter on Argent Dawn, Hoovingston, is parked right on Varian Wrynn’s throne, as of logging out last night. After the servers came back up, my pet coyote, Kyle, and my girlfriend made the trek after [almost] everyone else had stopped. After we completed our own Running of da Bulls, I then donated $10 (the most I could spare right now) to Make-a-Wish.
And I’d do it all over again in a second.
I was also there, it was one of the most amazing and happiest times I’ve ever spent on WoW. Many people were there for Ezra, and several more was there for their family or friends who also had cancer. It didn’t just become a “running of da bulls” for alot of people all across the servers, it was a WoW-version of a Walk for a Cure.
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o270/Suzaelos/WoWScrnShot_110808_141752.jpg
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o270/Suzaelos/WoWScrnShot_110808_143702.jpg
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o270/Suzaelos/WoWScrnShot_110808_151940.jpg
My own personal screenshots. While I loved that tauren character truly, I did delete her after the run. Many of us weren’t going to be staying on AD, and we wished to not trouble them anymore then we already had (though we didn’t intend to trouble from the start *giggle*).
I ran for my grandfather. I ran for my father. I ran for Ezra. I ran for the many children and the Make A Wish foundation. I ran for my fellow Hunters and my fellow sympathetic hearts. I do not regret what happened to the servers for awhile because of the event, because in the end, I heard several stories of other people who were there, that in the end brought us all closer as not just a WoW-community, but a community period.
I was there giving away tabards all day. It was an awesome event and most folks were very with the spirit of the thing
aye Heferia must have spent at least 1000g in tabards. much thanks to you and your guildmates
Heifera,
You were great. Their was no one there more dedicated then you and thanks for the tabard. I’ll get ya a few gold to at least cover your expense on my behalf. I shudder to think how much you put out that day. Like I said. Dedicated and that says volumes about you as a person. It was great fun for a great cause. I still plan to die at the gates SW. Hopefully this evening although my lvl 5 hunter is a corpse running fiend at this point. Is there an achievement for corpse runs. Hmmmm. Anyway, made a donation too.
Yeah I play mainly on Argent Dawen, and it is a very VERY full realm. I think it is now locked. It wasn’t a good realm to start with to do the event on cause of it. A lower populated realm may have been able to handle it better.
I wish I had known of the event sooner, I was in outland on my ally toons when the realm started to have lag really bad and over chat I kept hearing about a raid on SW, and thats nothing ne with the achievements. Then someone finally brought up the runing of the bulls and by then the lag got so bad the world crashed. lol
It’s sad to hear that he died. At least he will forever be imbodied in a game so many play.
Bless Ezra’s tauren-loving heart.
I have an off-topic question. I’m kinda tempted to Tame a War Hound. What kind of sounds does it make? Does it do the barking the so-called “wolves” do? I hate that. I want to edit it. Real wolves do not bark.
I was glad to see such a turnout for the run. Since my primary characters are on AD, I was there. My 70 hunter and his flamingo were out ahead of the pack trying to clear away any nasty mobs that might go after the young’uns and dropping my DISCO ball whenever its cooldown was up.
I feel bad that the event had to be called off before most made it to SW, but it really was doing a number on the server.
I don’t read blogs much, in fact, this is the only one I visit. That said, I’m truly sad I missed it as it sounds like a fantastic thing to do. Kudos to all of you who were there, and even more so, to those of you who gave of your in-game goods for the event. As much as I tend to think that this game seems to bring out the worst in a lot of people, jestures such as this remind me to have faith in people as well.
@everyone Sadly I couldn’t make it being in bed sick. I have never missed any of BRK’s “special runs“, and was very sad having to miss this one, but I did donate. Good thing, I sort of figured that this would bring a server down to it’s knees.
Most folks don’t know but Ahab’s voice is Ezra. The world and WOW will be a sadder place without Ezra.
@Kristy the War Hound doesn’t make much noise. Sometimes there is that wolf strangle noise, and a small howl but I am not sure it is her. :) There is no dance or other animation. She just stands there looking like she wants me to mount up and ride off into the sunset, looking pretty just like me. :) I haven’t even given her a name and so far she is up to lvl 68 (almost 69). Hopefully, I can get her to 70 before LK-Day.
I wish I had known about this earlyer I probly woulnt have done it on that server but I do have a couple of taurins and could have started a twin run on another server to help the load. It makes my heart swell knowing how much love we have in our cyber community. Helping find that lost little dog is one of my favorite baby taurin quests and any time I run past with one of my horde alts I allways take the time to do that qust even if it is a ton lower lv than that toon. I give you all the cudos and love that I have to give you huge hearted server crashers you. (I mean the server crashers part in a good way : )
From Emowin (mama of all wild marauding kittens)
I was on the boat in Ratchet when I saw the red Blizz GM yell scroll by. I thought “That’s not good”. Then by the time my herd got to STV, BRK was pleading for everyone to stop. The most common response around me was “Never!!!” or something to that effect. I am proud to be a part of WoW history even though I didn’t make it out of STV. BUT WHAT IS THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13TH GOING TO BE LIKE?
@BLIZZARD: YOU ARE NOT PREPARED!!!
Oh…
I really wish I could’ve been there to support this effort. Alas, I had not heard of it until I came to the Arcania. You are all so wonderful, and so is Blizzard, Make-a-Wish, and Mania, and everyone. God bless Ezra, and God bless you all.
Now, if you excuse me… once they finish Tuesday mantainence, I am going to get a puppy named Kyle. :*)
I actually logged out as soon as I saw BRK’s plea to end it but went back. The cause just tugged at my heart. Restarted the next evening in STV and made it to the kings feet. Took a screen shot and just felt good about completing the run. Yeah, I’m a bit strange but sometimes you just have to do it because it feels right to do.
I never knew he had created that quest…it’s my favorite quest and everytime I roll a Tauren (I roll a lot of Tauren, favorite race. I usually get bored and delete them at level 8 though) I always do that quest. I feel bad I missed the event in his honor.
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