Contact:     Elena Etcheverry  858-558-0369
Melanie Christie 619-817-1639
www.ScrapbookRoyalty.com                                         
 
          FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 
San Diego Organization Honored for Combining
Creativity and Charitable Giving
 
 
SAN DIEGO, CA – Combining the ever popular hobby and raising money for charity, Scrapbook Royalty has discovered the perfect recipe for success.  Well-known and supported throughout the San Diego scrapbooking community, Scrapbook Royalty hosts scrapbooking events in order to raise money and awareness for lesser-known causes.   To date, SBR's high energy events have raised over $100,000 since its inception nearly two years ago.
 
The brainchild of its founder Elena Etcheverry, the non-profit organization is run purely by volunteers who have a passion for giving and creativity.  “Scrapbook Royalty’s unique structure educates participants about worthy charities and raises money, all the while providing them a creative outlet based on their favorite scrapbooking pastime,” said Etcheverry.  Etcheverry was recently honored with the Channel 10 Leadership Award that recognizes leaders who give back to the San Diego community.
 
“I am honored to receive this award, considering that past recipients have made remarkable contributions in San Diego,” said Etcheverry.  “The opportunity to pour my heart into Scrapbook Royalty is beyond fortuitous.  I feel lucky that I get up in the morning and do something that I really, really love.  I feel good helping others.”
 
Etcheverry spent a year in Taiwan studying and when she returned to the U.S, she wanted to spend her time giving back instead of going back to work.  It turns out she has all the right talents to be successful in her new venture.
 
“I have always loved fundraising, even since I was a little kid.  I was the kid going door to door to door with the sponsorship form.  Fundraising is in my blood,” said Etcheverry.  Her friends call her a chameleon because of her ability to talk to anyone and as a master salesperson with 10 years in retail, she has been recognized with numerous sales awards. 
 
“Elena introduced me to Scrapbook Royalty and it wasn’t long before I caught the vision of the organization.  She has such passion for her work that other people are anxious to join her efforts and volunteer their own time to good causes in the community,” said Melanie Christie, Vice President of SBR.
 
And to top off her top-notch sales skills, Etcheverry has experience in event planning and a creative edge that she expresses through scrapbooking.  Combining these seemingly incongruent abilities, Etcheverry launched SBR.  With a grand vision for the growing organization, Etcheverry and Christie are not satisfied with the status quo.  They have seen Scrapbook Royalty grow from a small event of 12 people to a 15-hour event attended by nearly 85 participants.  Inspired by the success of past events, they are anxious to share their recipe for achievement with others for a small donation to SBR.  Through media coverage and online marketing, events have sprouted up across the United States including Florida, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota.
 
Alane Davis, Chair of the Young Survival Coalition in Duluth, MN discovered Scrapbook Royalty online and tapped into the organization’s wealth of information. “Their experience, advice and support were invaluable to our success. Most importantly, they were willing to listen to our ideas and incorporate them into our event so that it was a very special and unique time enjoyed by our participants and volunteers.”
 
The Coalition hosted the “Crop for a Cure” event in October 2007, which raised over $8500 and received rave reviews from the community.  “We were very excited to be in charge of an event that was unique to our area, was something we were sure would fill a niche in our community, and brought individual attention to the plight of young women with breast cancer. Perhaps the best part of all was that we created an event that focused on something that we were all passionate about: scrapbooking!” said Davis.
 
SBR’s contribution extends beyond mere advice; they share their invaluable expertise hosting these trademark events with like-minded humanitarians.  The organization’s love for philanthropy and creative spirit fosters their dedication to providing the ultimate “royal treatment” for their donors and charitable organizations alike. 
 
"The [previous SBR] event was flawless, from the moment you walked down the red carpet, you were pampered and treated like royalty while…cropping and raising money for a great cause. I have never been to such a well organized, well thought out, and incredibly fun event,” said Danielle Forsgren, or “Scrapbook Diva” and hostess of the Diva Craft Lounge Radio Show.  “The classes were great but the people were even better.  I plan to go to all future Scrapbook Royalty events."
 
Some of the greatest advice the Etcheverry ever took was from Donald Trump: Do what you love.   Etcheverry does what she loves and she does it well.  “I have been really blessed in life with everything that I need or want.  Not many people can quit their jobs and dedicate their time to charity.  This is my passion and my joy in life.”
 
Previous benefactors from Scrapbook Royalty events include The Cancer Coping Center, The Invisible Children, The Boys & Girls Club, The American Heart Association, The Surfrider Foundation, Rady’s Children’s Hospital, and the San Dieguito Boys & Girls Clubs, among others.  For more information regarding Scrapbook Royalty, please visit www.ScrapbookRoyalty.com or call 858-558-0369.