Scrapbookers hope for bumper crop

Group session to raise funds for child with muscular dystrophy

Mike Zettel

ST. CATHARINES — When most people think of fundraisers, bake sales, penny drives or benefit concerts come to mind.

Michelle Kuijer and fellow members of her Zeta Phi sorority chapter have another idea. Armed with glue, stickers and photographs, the group has made plans for a crop — an all-day scrapbooking session.

While certainly not the usual way to raise money, a crop is a natural choice for someone who drives a car adorned with a “Scrapbooker on Board” bumper sticker. Kuijer has been creating what can best be described as enhanced photo albums for five years.

Most are recollections of events over a particular year, while others relate to a specific event, such as a trip to Disneyland she took with her mother.

“It’s just stuff that happens in your life,” Kuijer said as she leafed through her 2004 scrapbook at her kitchen table of her north St. Catharines home.

“This is a good way of telling people about your family history.”

It’s also an attractive way to present pictures which might otherwise be crammed into a box, still in the film processor’s envelope. Each page features little notes that tell the story of a photo or group of photos, and are often decorated with materials, such as felt, buttons or bottle caps — all of which add texture to the page to draw the viewer in.

“Everybody scrapbooks differently,” Kuijer said.

When she first started, she was hesitant to take scissors to her family photos in order to cut away distracting backgrounds and highlight the focus of each one. Eventually, she learned to keep the scrapbook in mind when taking the pictures, and she became a better photographer by making use of the full frame.

For a few years, Kuijer was a part of an informal group of scrapbookers which would gather once a week to crop together. She found it to be a good way to share supplies and ideas.

For the past two years, Kuijer and her sorority have used group crops as a fundraiser, collecting money for Hospice Niagara. This year, all proceeds will go to the Miller family, whose 10-year-old son, Tanner, is a friend of her son, Dalton, and was born with the progressive disease, Duchenns Muscular Dystrophy.

The goal is to raise enough money to pay for a laptop, which can be loaded with special software to help Tanner, who has been confined to a wheelchair since July 2005, at school.

Tanner’s mother, Dana, said she was quite surprised to hear about the unusual fundraiser.

“I had no idea you could do a fundraiser like that,” she said. “It’s always overwhelming when people offer to help us.”

There is still room available for the Oct. 21 crop at the Real Canadian Superstore. The cost to take part is $25 and includes a goodie bag with donated supplies and lunch. It takes place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

To reserve a spot, call Kuijer at 905-658-3087.

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