The Final Fantasy 14 community is banding together once again — quite literally — to raise money for a special cause. This weekend, the Bards For Brains event will host multiple bard bands over three stages on the Marilith server to raise awareness and funds for several charities.
The supported charities are the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, which is globally recognised as the leading brain aneurysm education, support, and research organisaton, the Northwestern Memorial Foundation, which raises funds to support patient-centered care, and the Brain Research Foundation, which helps to fund pioneering neuroscience research.
Autumn Dream, the founder of the Desperado Music Hall in Final Fantasy 14 and real-life charity event organiser, explains that they chose to host Bards For Brains to support these foundations, as they are related to a cause very close to their heart.
Dream’s mother suffered from two brain aneurysms, and the family was told she would not survive. Fortunately, she was taken to one of the country's best teaching and research hospitals and underwent a successful experimental neurosurgery procedure. Though Dream’s mother has sadly since passed away, Dream is forever grateful for the lifesaving operation that gave them nine additional years with their mother.
“I had often thought that I would like to do something meaningful for the organizations that made my mom’s surgery possible,” Dream says. “For many years, I chose a charity to work with once a year, but always something local to me I could personally touch and be involved in.”
Now, Dream is taking their charity work to the digital world of Eorzea. They originally made the Desperado Music Hall to offer bards and bands a new concert venue, but never planned to use it themselves. After the venue went unused for some time, they decided to host their own event, “I decided that I would make my event something meaningful in her memory, and finally support some of the places that gave me her for a little longer.”
The event will take place from 2PM to 10PM EST on Sunday, May 21 on Marilith, Dynamis in the Goblet at Plot 13, Ward 15. The venue has three main stages that will be hosting performances throughout the event. The main concert hall in the basement will house the largest bands, while the main floor stage will feature single bard performances. The outside stage will have additional bard and band performances, and there will also be bartenders and other food booths sponsored by local community venues involved for refreshments.
A range of bards and bands will be performing, including The Wiggles, Black Rose, Final Fantasia, The Zune Tunes, and The Hissy Fits, to name just a few. You can see the full lineup and the schedule on the website.
The Bards For Brains team would love to see Warriors of Light attend the event to help raise awareness, or if you’re able to donate, any contributions would be much appreciated. You can also find more information about the event, the different foundations, and how to donate on the official website or the Desperado Music Hall Discord.