Adrian Ruiz | Diana Hamawi | Brenda Jimenez

Julie Horowitz | Jesse Sczublewski

COMM 464

CAMPAIGN
Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter of Agreement

Executive Summary

Company Background

About the Walk

Collaborator

Competitor

Pest Analysis

10

SWOT/Problem Statement

13

Key Publics

15

Key Messages

18

Consumer Profiles

19

Goals

21

Objectives

22

Implementation

23

Evaluation

25

Timeline

28

Potential Budget

29

Actual Budget

30

Obstacles

31

Meet the Team/Reflections

32

Appendix

37

Works Cited

47

LETTER OF AGREEMENT

As agreed upon by both parties, Focus PR will provide their services free of charge to the
Epilepsy Support Network of OC. Focus PR will be aiding with PR efforts in an attempt to help
increase participation for the Epilepsy Support Networks annual walk, and attempt to generate
donations for the organization. Focus PR is not responsible for any fundraising, publicity, PR, or
any other related expenses. Focus PRs duties will include:

Leveraging Social Media Platforms by having access.

Increase Facebook and Twitter following by 15% as of March 1, 2016 all the way through
April 23, 2016.
Contacting traditional media outlets to increase awareness of the organization and the
annual walk and carnival event of April 23, 2016. These traditional medias may include
radio, newspaper and television outlets.
Contacting college philanthropy groups to increase awareness of the annual walk.
Epilepsy Support Network of OC will be able to provide Focused PR with a public
relations budget support if the process is approved by Executive Director Janna Moore.
Focused PR will provide a timeline to Epilepsy Support Network of OC.

Janna L. Moore, MPA

Epilepsy Support Network OC

Executive Summary
This campaign serves multiple functions, with the main purpose of the campaign
being to increase awareness of not just the event that the Epilepsy Support Network is
having, but of the organization as a whole as well. The Executive Director of the
organization, Janna Moore, wished to raise awareness for the event given that there are
multiple non-profit organizations and events that will be held either the same day as the
epilepsy walk or around the same time. For these reasons, she sought the assistance of
Focus PR. After conducting research, we concluded that our targeted publics were
active members of the Orange County community that have family members afflicted
with epilepsy, as well as community groups such as church groups, sororities, and
fraternities which were comprised primarily of millennials. This campaign utilized
primarily traditional forms of media as well as community outreach and new media.
Of all the tools and tactics used, social media was the most prominent. Our first
objective was to increase their social media following by 15% prior to the event date.
This was very important due to the Epilepsy Network not utilizing their social networks
to the fullest extent; it was also used to raise awareness of the organization. To do so,
we used Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to post images and updates that appeal to
the audiences emotion. This tactic was a success, for we increased the organizations
Facebook page by 20% and their Instagram page by 158%. Twitter saw the least
amount of increase, with only an increase in 2 followers.

These posts also aimed to increase the amount of donations so that we may
achieve the second goal set forth by Janna Moore, which was to raise $140,000 for the
organization. The images posted also had congratulatory images that celebrated
different groups and the amount of money they raised, recognizing sponsors and their
donations to the organization, and encouraging others to attend the walk. This goal was
nearly met, with the organization raising $139,760.
In order to further raise awareness of the organization to secure volunteers so we
could reach our third objective of 120 volunteers, we used traditional media and sent out
pitch letters, press releases and media alerts to various news organizations around the
Orange County area such as the Orange County Register, The Daily Monitor, The Los
Angeles Times, and ABC7 with the ultimate goal of gaining two media placements.
Ultimately, we were unable to secure two media placements however we did
secure an event listing on the OC Weekly. The use of fliers and one-on-one outreach
was also heavily utilized. We handed out fliers at church meetings, schools with special
needs programs, and sorority and fraternity meetings. This was met with great success,
for the event had a total of 159 volunteers. Overall, our campaign was a success, with
us having met nearly all of the objectives put forth by Janna Moore, with the exception
of the two media placements.

Company Background

The Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County is a nonprofit 501(c)3

organization founded by parents of children with epilepsy who were heartbroken and
devastated by the inability to stop their childrens seizures, side effects and cognitive
decline. These parents turned their anguish into action and have dedicated themselves
to improving the outcome for all children, teens and adults diagnosed with epilepsy in
Orange County.
The Epilepsy Network of Orange County is the only organization in Orange
County providing critical services needed to help families get their loved ones to
epilepsy specialists. Their support programs provide education and hope of finding relief
from uncontrolled seizures.
However, the Epilepsy Support Network is not limited solely to providing
education and help in finding relief from uncontrolled seizures, but the organization also
provides a network of support for all of its members. These networks are for all age
groups and provide professionals in the medical and educational field to help address
any problems that a person suffering from epilepsy may encounter.

About the Walk

Epilepsy Walk Orange County 2016 is the Epilepsy Support Networks largest
fundraising event of the year. They hold an annual walk in order to raise crucial funds to
ensure that their support services and programs are available at no cost to those who
need them. This amazing and fun walk also serves as an outreach and educational
event, educating the public about epilepsy and attracting those in need of their services.
The walk offers a wonderful day of community for members, friends and family of
each others support to stand strong and work together to decrease the threat of
epilepsy. This years walk is Star Wars-Themed, with those who volunteer and those
that register showing up to the event dressed as their favorite Star Wars characters.
Participants are encouraged to form teams, and each team takes their name from a Star
Wars character, event, or location.

Collaborators

The Childrens Hospital of Orange County has been partnered with the Epilepsy
Support Network since the organization was founded. Through the partnership, CHOC
is able to provide critical services and care to those that are afflicted with the condition,
as well as provide experts on epilepsy to speak to parents and others to educate them
about the condition.

Schwab Charitable has been an ardent sponsor of the Epilepsy Support Network and
has consistently provided donations to the organization. They are one of the few
organizations that have consistently provided up to $5,000 in donations every year.

UC Irvine Health has been a long-time partner of the Epilepsy Support Network and has
provided over the years top specialists in epilepsy. UC Irvine Health partners with the
Epilepsy Support Network in providing education and treatments for epilepsy, with
doctors usually being included as guest speakers for many of the Epilepsy Support
Networks events.

The Hoag Neuroscience Institute has provided the Epilepsy Support Network with
donations, as well as services for those afflicted with epilepsy. The also provide medical
specialists with expertise in neurological disorders such as epilepsy.

Competitor

The Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles is part of a joint effort with the
Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego County. Together, these two organizations form
Epilepsy California. The goal of this organization is to raise awareness for epilepsy, as
well as hosting fundraising events for the organization. This organization also advocates
for laws and regulations that protect those with epilepsy and ensure that those with the
condition are able to fully contribute to their communities. The organization aims to
ensure that those with epilepsy have full access to seizure rescue medications, access
to epilepsy treatment, have patient protection, and also promotes the expansion of civic
laws to protect those with epilepsy in their work environment.

Pest Analysis
POLITICAL
According to the Internal Revenue Service, a public charity is not allowed to
accrue any form of private benefit to organizations or individuals. The IRS has
established this so that tax-exempt organizations do not serve private interests.
Public charities such as 501(c)(3) organizations are prohibited from participating
in any political campaign for any candidate running for public office, either directly
or indirectly (IRS Publication 4221, 2014).
According to the California Business and Professions Code Sections 1751017510.95, charity organizations must provide different forms of proof and liability
so as to show that they are legitimate non-profit organizations. This was
established so as to get rid of charity fraud (State of California Department of
Justice, 2015).
501(c)(3) organizations are eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable
contributions (IRS, 2016).

ECONOMIC
The unemployment rate in the U.S. has seen a drop within the last few years. As
more jobs have become available, there has been an increase in the amount of
people seeking jobs. As of January 2016, the unemployment rate has dropped
4.9%.
California has seen a rise in minimum wage in the past few years, with the
current minimum wage being set at $10 an hour. Currently, Gov. Jerry Brown

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signed a deal that will raise the minimum wage in California to $15 an hour by the
year 2022. The raise in minimum wage will allow for others to donate more
money to different organizations.
According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, those with an income
of less than $100,000 tend to donate on average more than those that make
above that amount.
Corporate donations have increased as well, with 2014 seeing $17.77 billion in
donations, a 13.7% increase from 2013.
The National Center for Charitable Statistics has shown that the amount of total
reported charitable deductions has increased within the last few years, with a
total of $174.5 billion in 2011, a 2.8% increase from 2010.

SOCIAL
A study found that most people are more likely to respond and donate to a
charitable organization if they know that the money they are donating is going to
one single beneficiary as a opposed to being presented with statistical
information about the scale of the problem.
People are more likely to donate if they see or recognize someone else they
know donating money as well, as opposed to money being donated by an
anonymous source.
A study also found that people who have had previous volunteer experience are
more likely to donate their time to an organization than those that have not
volunteered before (The Guardian, 2015).

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People are more likely to volunteer in four areas, which are religious,
educational, social service, and health organizations. This is of great help to the
epilepsy support network given that it is a non-profit health and educational
organization (National Center for Charitable Statistics).

TECHNOLOGIC
In 2013, online donations grew by 13.5%, and overall charitable giving grew by
4.9%, as stated by the Charitable Giving Report.
Out of all money that was donated in the year 2013, online donations accounted
for 6.4% of money given, with small non-profit organizations seeing the biggest
growth in online giving.
In 2013, not only did 100 of the largest charities see a 13% increase in online
donations, but 25 of these charities collected $10 million from online gifts
(National Philanthropic Trust, 2016).

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SWOT Analysis / Problem

Statement
STRENGTHS

Strong and loyal following of parents with epileptic children

Star Wars-themed event

Previous success stories published in the OC Register

Strong partnership with the Childrens Hospital of Orange County

Organization received radio time on 100.3 FM

Weaknesses
Low following on social media
Similar organization with a much larger following
Lack of awareness for this relatively new organization in Orange County
Seizure Wars title may deter potential volunteers and registrants

Opportunities
With the resurgence in popularity of Star Wars, this Star Wars-themed event can
increase awareness and public participation
Chance to educate people about the Epilepsy Support Network and their life
changing efforts

Threats
Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles is having a few events around the
same time as the Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County

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 Make-A-Wish Foundation is having a Star Wars-themed event the same day

Many other non-profit organizations are also having events during the same time
as the Epilepsy Walk

Problem Statement
The Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County is a relatively new organization,
and with other larger non-profit organizations such as the Epilepsy Foundation of
Greater Los Angeles competing in and around Orange County, there is a lack of social
media presence and involvement.

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Key Publics
OC residents affected by epilepsy
Orange County is home to 32,000 residents that are affected by epilepsy and for 11,000
of those residents they continue to have seizures despite the treatment that they are
going through. Those numbers alone are reason enough for this to be one of our key
publics because there is an obvious need for support and continued research and these
people are going to be the ones that will one be willing to donate their time and
resources in order to come up with a solution to this disease that so many Orange
County residents are affected by each year. Many of these people in Orange county
that are affected by this disease are unaware of the resources that are available to them
in the Orange County area therefore they must be reached to benefit themselves as
well as the others that are affected each year.

DEMOGRAPHICS
Out of the residents of Orange County, one of the main reasons for the overall success
of the county as a whole is the group that fits within Generation X. This age group
ranges from people from the age of 34 to 49 and now comprises a major portion of the
upper middle class to the upper class in Orange County. They have developed the
growing importance of education within our society and in turn have become, in most
cases, very successful financially, taking on the role of corporate executives within
many different industries. In total, throughout the United States Generation X is
comprised of a 61% white population and overall has a population size of right around
65 million. Even though 61% of their population is in fact white they are much more

15

diverse than the generation before them and paved the way for the diverse generation
that the millennials have become (PEW, 2015). Orange County is home to one of the
highest median incomes in the state of California. With a median income of just short of
$76,000 this poses a major opportunity for potential sponsors and people who are
willing to spend money on a cause that dont necessarily affect them directly (Census,
2014).

PSYCHOGRAPHICS
With this group becoming one of the more influential groups currently within the Orange
County population they are a group that would most likely be willing to produce funds
towards a non-profit or charity group. With the Epilepsy Support Network helping many
children currently this group will be one that is most likely to be willing to help or have
friends and family affected this disease especially with the large number of people
affected by this disease within Orange County.

Millennials
With over one thousand different nonprofit/volunteer organizations throughout Orange
County the volunteer numbers in this county are huge. One major demographic present
in the volunteer group throughout the country are the millennials. This group, while short
on funds while they are attending school, are willing to donate time to causes that they
are passionate about whether they were directly affected by something or just have a
passion to help a certain group of people. Due to this, the millennials are ready to give
their time to help others.

16

DEMOGRAPHICS
With over one thousand different nonprofit/volunteer organizations throughout Orange
County the volunteer numbers in this county are huge. One major demographic present
in the volunteer group throughout the country are the millennials. This is now the largest
generation present within the United States numbering at 75.4 million people and is also
considered the most educated generation as well. They are savvy with technology
having grown up and adapted with the continued development of communication
technology within their lifetime therefore offer many skills from technological capabilities
to simply just donating their time to an event (PEW, 2016).

PSYCHOGRAPHICS
This group while short on cash when they are in school are willing to donate time to
causes that they are passionate about, whether they are directly affected by something
or just have a passion to help a certain group of people the millennials are ready to give
their time to help others. This group also considers themselves the most unique
generation currently in existence, this means that they are more likely to take up a
cause and see it through in order to help themselves as well as the community. If they
see a change needs to be made they will make it because they see themselves different
than past generations and want to make things better around them (PEW, 2015)

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Key Messages
Un-Seize the Day
One of the main messages that our campaign utilizes is the slogan that the Epilepsy
Support Network has provided. This slogan encourages others to band together and
help in un-seizing the day, which is in itself a play on the word seizure and the
common phrase seize the day. Given that many that are afflicted with epilepsy,
according to the Epilepsy Support Network Executive Janna Moore, do not like to refer
to themselves as just those that suffer from seizures, this phrase puts forth a neutral,
non-inflammatory and inspiring message to motivate not just those with epilepsy to help,
but others outside of the epilepsy community as well.

A Chance to Give Back to the Community

Upon conducting research, we came to our second key message. This message
highlights the fact that people are more inclined to donate their time or money if
presented with a philanthropic messages. Given that communities provide resources
and other things of the like, as well as keeping in mind those that we are targeting for
the campaign, this message encourages the community to come together and support
one another in raising money to find a cure.

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Consumer Profiles
Meet Candice
Candice is a married 41-year-old mother of 3 and lives in Costa
Mesa, California. She makes a combined annual income of
$82,000 and has a 10-year-old daughter that suffers from epilepsy.
Candice makes a concerted effort to ensure that her daughter is
cared for in the best manner possible and networks with other
families in the community that also have family members afflicted with the condition.
She is also an active member of the Orange County community due to her volunteer
work in various different areas of the county, and she regularly attends church meetings
during the week. When she is unable to volunteer, she makes sure to make a
contribution by donating some of her money to the organization.

Meet Jamie
Jamie is a 22-year-old student at California State University
Fullerton majoring in Child Development and currently resides in the
Orange County area with a roommate. She has a part-time job and
makes an average annual income of $18,000. Having transferred to
the university from up north, Jamie enjoys going out and exploring
the community. She is a member of a sorority at her school and actively participates in
any volunteer work for organizations that her sorority is affiliated with. She uses
technology to keep up with her friends as well as searching for events in her area that

19

she can participate in. She is especially interested in volunteering for organizations
pertaining to childrens health or development.

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Goals
1. Leveraging social media platforms so as to increase our social media following.
This will be done by taking full control of the social networks utilized by the
Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County. To do so, we will post inspiring
messages and images of the children that have been helped by the Epilepsy
Support Network.

2. Generate buzz around the Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County Seizure
Wars walk
Given that the Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County is a newer
organization in comparison to other non-profits in the greater Los Angeles area,
our goal is to generate buzz to increase the turnout, which in turn will increase
the amount of donations.

3. Raise awareness of the local non-profit sector by contacting traditional media

outlets and getting media placement.
By getting media placement, not only will it raise awareness of the local nonprofit sector, but of the organization itself.

4. Contacting CSUF sorority and fraternity groups to engage and help with
volunteer work for the event
Focus PR is aware that sorority and fraternity groups are a great resource to find
volunteers. Many of these groups have already established reputations for
working with non-profit organizations, such as the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and its
work with Breast Cancer awareness and education.

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Objectives
Social Media
Given that this organization has little engagement and online presence, our main
objective in regards to social media is to manage their accounts and posts so that we
may increase their following by 15%.

Volunteers
The Epilepsy Support Networks Epilepsy Walk is their largest fundraising event
of the year, and as such they need plenty of volunteers to assist with different aspects
of the event. Our goal is to secure a minimum of 120 volunteers for the event.

Donations
During last years Epilepsy Walk, the Epilepsy Support Network managed to
raise $140,000, and they wish to raise the same amount this year as well, therefore our
goal in regards to total donations will remain the same at $140,000.

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Implementation
Our strategy was divided into three main parts. We focused our strategic PR plan
to target social media, traditional media, and direct community outreach. Our main
target audiences are families with members that have epilepsy, and active Orange
County community members. It was important for us to appeal to people using pathos
through social media and traditional media platforms in order to draw people's attention
to the condition. The ultimate goal of all of this was to bring awareness of the existence
of the Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County, the life changing services they
provide, and the annual fundraising event they hold.
Our social media strategy included posting on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
We aimed to engage users as much as possible on these platforms, as well as optimize
outreach. Since Twitter is limited in terms of the length of the post, the posts on this
platform were mainly focused on recognizing the sponsors of the event, as well as the
teams that are registered for the epilepsy walk event and their fundraising efforts.
Facebook is the main social media platform that the maximum outreach can be
achieved. The Epilepsy Support Network of Orange Countys Facebook page has the
highest amount of likes and followers compared to the other two target social media
platforms, which is why generating outreach on Facebook was the most plausible.
The Facebook posts consist of diverse topics such as updates, reminders, and
recognitions all pertaining to the annual event. Users are actively engaged with the
posts with fun Star Wars themed language, which is the theme of this years annual
walk. This gives Star Wars fans the opportunity to be further intrigued by the events
taking place at the fundraiser. Instagram is a platform used to share engaging images of

23

the children that are participating in the Epilepsy walk, as well as any incentives that are
available to people who register for the event. The platform is also utilized to recognize
all the sponsors of the fundraising event including CHOC and UCI Neuroscience
Institute among others. The whole aim of the social media engagement is to reach as
many users as possible with the posts, as well as gauge interest and ultimately increase
registrations for the event which in conclusion will increase funds for the cause.
Our second main strategy was to contact traditional media platforms such as
newspapers, TV, and radio stations. There was a previous story written in the Orange
County Register about a young girl who was enduring epilepsy and received funding for
life changing epilepsy health services through the Epilepsy Support Network of Orange
County. We attempted to contact the writer of the newspaper article to write a follow up
story on how the girl is doing now, as well as mention the Epilepsy Support Network of
OC and the services they provide to those with Epilepsy in the community. We also sent
press releases and media alerts to several media outlets including the OC Register and
local cable television stations.
Since raising donations for the cause and attracting volunteers for the event were
a couple of our main objectives, direct community outreach was a useful tactic. Our
tools included posters and fliers that we distributed and posted in hubs around the
CSUF campus, as well as local churches, coffee shops, and similar places that are
likely to draw traffic. Direct outreach also included attending sorority and fraternity
meetings to get the word out about the event, and inform them about volunteer
opportunities. This tactic was mainly used for attracting volunteers for the even more
than anything.

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Evaluation
The success of the campaign was measured by whether we met the goals set by our
client and whether we had met the objectives. Our client, Epilepsy Support Network of
Orange County, set a financial goal to raise $140,000 for their annual Epilepsy Walk of
Orange County 2016. The second goal Epilepsy Support Network Orange County set
was to gain 120 volunteers to help with the walk. Together, we and the Epilepsy
Support Network of Orange County set a third goal to create awareness for Epilepsy
Walk of Orange County by increasing our social media following.
Our first objective was to increase social media impressions and following by
15%. Since they lacked a constant social media presence they didnt have a strong
social media following. Since the beginning of the campaign from March 1st through
April 23rd, the day of the annual walk, Facebook saw an average increase of 15
followers per week. At the beginning Facebook only had 600 followers by the end of the
campaign it increased to 725 followers, for a total increase 20%. We also increased the
Instagram following by 158%. Since the Instagram following was low to begin with at 9
followers, we only saw it increase by 23 more followers, for a total 32 followers. It
helped us surpass our objective of 15%. Our social media objectives to increase social
media impressions and following by 15% was successful and surpassed our goal
(Facebook analytics are provided in the appendix).
Our second objective was to help the Epilepsy Support Networks Epilepsy Walk
to secure 120 volunteers for the event. Since this is their largest fundraising event of the
year they need plenty of volunteers to assist with different aspects of the walk. We
contacted CSUF sorority and fraternity groups to help volunteer for the event. We also

25

posted volunteer fliers around message boards at the CSUF campus to reach out to
other students, as well as contacting churches and schools with special needs
programs. The efforts were successful for we had 159 volunteers the day of the event.
Our third objective was to help raise donations since last years Epilepsy Walk
the Epilepsy Support Network managed to raise $140,000, therefore our goal remained
the same at $140,000. Since the Epilepsy Support Network makes most of its money
during its Epilepsy Walk and silent auction it was important to raise awareness among
the community of the local nonprofit sector by contacting traditional media outlets and
gaining at least 2 media placements.

Community outreach
1. We passed out fliers and posted poster around the community to help bring
awareness. Places where we passed out fliers and posted posters were
high traffic local business such as coffee shops and restaurants. We also
reached out to local churches and schools and posted in those locations as
well.

Media Placement
2. We pitched stories, sent out press releases, and media alerts to the Orange
County Registry, Los Angeles Times, The Daily Pilot and ABC7 News. We
were only successful in getting our event featured in the event calendar
section of the Orange County Registry. Our goal of getting 2 media
placements were unsuccessful.

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Even though we did not reach our goal of getting 2 media placements, the Epilepsy
Walk was still able to raise $139,760 which was $240 short of our goal. This goal was
nearly met and the overall turnout was a success.

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Timeline

28

Potential Budget

29

Actual Budget

30

Obstacles
Communication
The main obstacle we encountered was that there were communications
problems with Janna Moore. E-mails would go on for days or even weeks without a
response, and calls were being left unanswered. Press releases which included quotes
from her needed approval before being sent out, however she would not respond to the
e-mails requesting her approval. Other messages that would be sent out to her
requesting information regarding donations and volunteer sign-ups would also go
unanswered. To fix this problem, we would leave voicemails and e-mails that stressed
the importance of the approvals and information as it was part of a project. We also
found that we could no longer communicate with the previous writer that covered the
organization as he was no longer working for the OC Register.

Other Events
Upon attending numerous sorority and fraternity meetings, we came to realize
that Coachella would be taking place the same weekend as the event, which pulled
away a majority of volunteers that could participate. We also found that the Epilepsy
Foundation of Greater Los Angeles and the Make-A-Wish Foundation would also be
hosting similar events on the same day, with the Make-A-Wish Foundation also having
a Star Wars-Themed event. In order to try and circumvent the issue, we tried to put forth
the locality of the event seeing as it is closer to their homes as opposed to the other
events which would take place outside of the Orange County area.

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Meet The Team & Reflections

ADRIAN RUIZ is a senior attending California State
University, Fullerton and majoring in Communications with
an emphasis in Public Relations. At 22-years-old, Adrian
found his passion in PR, gaining experience in research,
writing press releases, pitch letters, and social media
management. As the president of Focus PR, he contributed by
supplying research, pitching campaign ideas, creating the presentation, creating and
designing the proposal, and media outreach.
This experience has definitely taught me quite a lot. I did not anticipate it to be
as challenging as it was. I thought that I had the group dynamic already familiarized,
however this class showed me that not every group works exactly the same. Im glad it
was challenging however because every challenge teaches you a new experience that
you can take from. This class also taught me what its like to do PR for an organization.
The hands on experience was extremely invaluable and provided me with insight that I
can use in the future.
If I were to change anything, it would probably have to be being a bit stricter with
the deadlines and communicating more clearly with our organization. I found that we
were rushing through things a little close to the end and cutting it a bit close, as well as
not getting the information we needed in time.

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DIANA HAMAWI is a Communications major with a

focus in Public Relations. She's had experience with event
planning, social media management, and qualitative and
quantitative research skills. She's worked with the
Newport Beach Film Festival, and has been working at
Fusion of Ideas for the past year now as a SEO. She has
contributed to the implementation on this PR plan, as well as managing the
organizations social media as the Social Media Manager which included Twitter,
Facebook, and Instagram. She also provided the social media analytics.
My time at California State University Fullerton is coming to a close as I
approach the final days of my last semester. However, I know Im graduating with indepth knowledge in the field of public relations. Prior to enrolling in the class I heard
many things from many different people regarding the capstone. Differing opinions
made me anxious, however one thing that I kept in mind was that I wouldnt be alone.
Despite scheduling conflicts and different work schedules, the team made it work. One
thing I would have changed would probably try a bit harder in getting the group to meet
up given that we didnt meet as much as I would have liked.
Working with the Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County was a great
experience. It allowed me to utilize everything I learned throughout my years spent at
the school. Not only was I able to put to work everything I learned, but I also gained
experience in truly working in the field of public relations. As I move forward and work to
gain my masters degree, I know Im leaving with the tools required for success.

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BRENDA JIMENEZ is a senior at California State

University, Fullerton, expected to graduate in May 2016 with
a bachelors degree in Communications with an emphasis in
Public Relations. Brenda has great managing and team
building skills that she has quarried though her five years of
retail management experience. She was the Director of Communications and
contributed by supplying research, pitching creative and innovative campaign ideas, and
maintaining clear and open communication with the organization.
I enjoyed the service learning project because we partnered up with a great nonprofit that supported us in all our efforts to do what we wanted. I know that other groups
had a lot of difficulties with their organizations changing their terms of agreements
constantly, but we are lucky to say we didnt have those challenges. The challenges that
we did face were among our own group members. One of the biggest challenges we
faced was making time to meet outside of class because we all had different time
schedules and couldnt get a schedule to work without leaving someone out, but we
made it work. This also interfered with doing more face time meetings with our client
and having all of us together. Overall, I enjoyed working with my group because we all
used our strengths to do our parts and got through what we had to do. I can honestly
say I enjoyed this class because I got to learn a lot about public relations by first hand
and not just from reading from a book. It made me reflect what I will come to experience
in a real public relations work environment.

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JULIE HOROWITZ got her start in Public Relations back when she
was majoring in Theater during her sophomore year of college. She
did not foresee a future in theater, and as such decided to speak to
her academic adviser, explaining her interests and hobbies. Her
adviser directed her to many helpful career websites and eventually
she found the perfect fit of Public Relations. She enjoys the ever
changing environment, fast pace work and the challenges that come with it. She
contributed by doing community outreach which included reaching out to churches, local
businesses, sorority and fraternity meetings, budgeting and accounting, and creating
the timeline in which the proposal followed.
Im not going to lie, coming into the class it was a little daunting at first. I heard
so many things about the capstone that I didnt know what to expect. This semester was
definitely not as much of a walk in the park as I would have wanted considering its my
last semester, which Im super excited for because Im graduating, but every challenge
is a good challenge if you have the will to succeed! Working with this non-profit and
being in this class taught me so much and Im so happy to know that Im leaving this
semester with something I can use upon graduating. I dont feel as lost as I thought I
would, and my group was definitely one of the best Ive worked with. The hands-on
experience I gained by going out and doing community outreach is not something that
everyone gets to do. Overall, the experiences provided in this class make me feel
confident as I take that final step.

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JESSE SCZUBLEWSKI is a fifth year Communications

student at California State University Fullerton. Along with
attending classes Jesse was also a collegiate ice hockey
player playing for CSUF for all five years of his education.
Born in Toledo, Ohio Jesse currently resides in Riverside,
California and is set to graduate in Summer of 2016. Jesse
contributed to the project by supplying demographic and psychographic research, as
well as supplying research to other portions of the campaign.
Coming into this semester I was extremely excited to be so close to graduating
but was well aware of the workload ahead. Between playing collegiate ice hockey,
school and life itself I knew that this semester would take everything I had to get to the
finish line and complete the journey I have been on for the past five years. This class in
particular was the one that I had heard would be the most challenging of my academic
career because of the workload as well as the group work that is required throughout
the whole semester. Luckily for me I was able to be placed into Focus PR with a group
of people who all had the same goals for each project and we have been able to
achieve our goals and surpass our expectations on every project we have been faced
with. We were able to secure a great non-profit client in the Epilepsy Support Network of
Orange County where we were able to help promote their biggest fundraiser for the
entire year and in turn able to help so many families that are affected by a terrible
disease. Overall this class helped me realize that I do in fat wish to continue to pursue a
career in Public Relations and has equipped me with the tools and skills necessary to
begin and in turn further my career in the future.

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Appendix
Facebook Post Reach

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Facebook Post Analytics

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Instagram Screengrab

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Twitter Screen Grab

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Press Release
Epilepsy Support Network Orange County

1500 Adams Ave, Ste. 301

Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone: (714) 916-0456
Fax: (657) 215-8402
For Immediate Release
Contact: Adrian Ruiz / Public Relations Director, (310) 404-9609

Star Wars-Themed Epilepsy Fundraising Walk in Orange County

Orange County, CA The Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County is holding their annual
Seizure Wars Walk on April 23rd at the TeWinkle Park in Costa Mesa. This years walk is Star
Wars-themed, encouraging other to come help Unseize the Day.
The day will begin with a festive parade walk circling a quarter mile path around the
park. Families also have the opportunity to enjoy a carnival at the walk with games, bounce
house, and game booths. A silent auction and raffle will also be held after the walk. All
registered walkers receive a t-shirt and free BBQ lunch at the event.
Executive Director of the Epilepsy Support Network OC Janna Moore is excited for this years
annual walk turnout.
Last years turnout was very successful. We raised over $140,000 that went to raising
awareness and assisting those with epilepsy, said Executive Director JannaMoore.
Moore has been working hard to put together this years annual walk to engage the public
and those afflicted with epilepsy in an educational and fun-filled event. Find more information
about the walk and carnival and the official event website http://epilepsywalkoc.kintera.org.

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###
About Epilepsy Support Network:
We are Changing Lives at Every Stage of Life When infants, children, teens or adults have a seizure, we
are the only organization in Orange County providing critical services needed to help families get their
loved ones to epilepsy specialists. Our support programs provide education and hope of finding relief
from uncontrolled seizures. You can be part of our many success stories, now and in the new year.

42

Media Alert
April 18, 2016
WHAT:

Star Wars-Themed Epilepsy Support Walk

WHO:

Attending guests: Executive Directors of the Orange County

Epilepsy Support Network Janna Moore and Meghan Metzger,
Corprate Sponsors UCI Irvine Health, CHOC Childrens
Neuroscience Institute, Schwab Charitable, etc...

WHERE:

Backside of TeWinkle Park

999 Presido Square
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

WHEN:

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Registration begins 8:30 a.m.
The walk will commence at 9:30 a.m.

BACKGROUND:

The Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County is a non-profit

organization that will be holding its annual walk to raise epilepsy
awareness and to help raise funds so that it may continue providing
critical services for those afflicted with the condition. The Epilepsy
Support Network also provides programs and education to help
others find relief from uncontrolled seizures. This years walk is
Star Wars-themed and will be accompanied by a carnival filled
with bounce houses and game booths.

NEWS INTEREST:

Families and friends will be gathering at the park for the walk clad
in their Star Wars outfits to help raise epilepsy awareness and UnSeize the Day. This is a chance for the community to come
together to support a great cause, all while spending a fun and
eventful day with friends and family.

PHOTO
OPPORTUNITIES:

FOR INFORMATION:

Capture images of happy children, teenagers and adults as they

walk around TeWinkle Park in their Star Wars-themed outfits, as
well as photos of the carnival, BBQ, and silent auction. Photograph
the reactions of children as they see everyone arrive dressed as
their favorite Star Wars characters. Take photos of the children and
families as they get together for games and fun.
Adrian Ruiz
Day: (310) 404-9609
Eve/Wknd: (310) 326-1229
focusprfullerton@gmail.com

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Pitch Letter
Jordan Graham
Orange County Registry
625 N. Grand Ave
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Dear Jordan Graham,
Your story, Shortage of psych beds has O.C. supervisors considering partnership options,
published in April 2016 in The Orange County Register really brought to light the difficulties
that Orange County faces in accommodating those with mental illnesses and how they plan on
fixing that problem. Many of these people are left without help, as is the case with the thousands
of people in Orange County that suffer from epilepsy.
In 2012 Mareena Joye Flores was one of thousands of children that the Epilepsy Support
Network of Orange County was able to help. Their support programs and the annual Epilepsy
Walk, to be held this year on the 23rd of April, aim to help young children like Mareena. The
Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County has been the only non-profit organization in the
OC that provides critical services needed to help families get their loved ones to an epilepsy
specialist in conjunction with Children's Hospital of Orange County. Im sure your readers will
feel inspired after hearing about how these children have overcome their struggles and go on to
live the rest of their lives free of seizures.
If you are interested in finding out more about Mareenas success story and the Epilepsy Support
Network of Orange County, I can arrange for interviews with Mareena and her family, as well as
the Executive Director of the Epilepsy Support Network Janna Moore.
I will contact you next week to provide more information and to answer any questions you may
have. In the meantime, you may contact me at (626) 715-5917.

Sincerely,
Brenda Jimenez

44

Media Contacts
Jordan Graham
Orange County Registry
625 N. Grand Ave
Santa Ana, CA 92701
jgraham@ocregister.com
Greg Hardesty
Orange County Registry
625 N. Grand Ave
Santa Ana, CA 92701
ghardesty@ocregister.com
Cindy Yamanaka
Orange County Registry
625 N. Grand Ave
Santa Ana, CA 92701
cyamanaka@ocregister.com
John Canalis
Los Angeles Times
202 W. 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 237-5000
John.canalis@latimes.com
Kathleen Luppi
The Daily Pilot
202 W. 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 237-5000
Kathleen.luppi@latimes.com
ABC7 News
http://abc7.com/news/submit-press-releases/50414/
OC Weekly
http://www.ocweekly.com/submit-event

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Volunteer Sheet

46

Works Cited
"CA Codes (bpc:17510-17510.95)." CA Codes (bpc:17510-17510.95). California
Legislative Information, 2016. Web. 6 May 2016.
"Charitable Giving in America: Some Facts and Figures." Charitable Giving in America:
Some Facts and Figures. National Center for Charitable Statistics, 2016. Web. 6
May 2016.
"Charitable Giving Statistics." National Philanthropic Trust: Your Partner in Giving.
National Philanthropic Trust, 2016. Web. 6 May 2016.
Entities, Tax Exempt And Government. "Compliance Guide for 501(c)(3)
Charities." Publication 4221 PC (Rev. 7-2014) (n.d.): n. pag. Internal Revenue
Service. IRS, 2016. Web. 6 May 2016.
"Epilepsy Support Network Offers Support Groups, Children, Adults, Teens, Seizure
Disorders." Epilepsy Support Network Offers Support Groups, Children, Adults,
Teens, Seizure Disorders. Web. 11 May 2016.
"Epilepsy Support Network Offers Support Groups, Children, Adults, Teens, Seizure
Disorders." Epilepsy Support Network Offers Support Groups, Children, Adults,
Teens, Seizure Disorders. Epilepsy Support Network, 2016. Web. 5 May 2016.
Fry, Richard. "Millennials Overtake Baby Boomers as America's Largest Generation."
Pew Research Center RSS. 2016. Web. 11 May 2016.

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"Median Household Income (in 2014 Dollars), 2010-2014." Orange County California
QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau. Web. 11 May 2016.
Taylor, Paul, and George Gao. "Generation X: America's Neglected 'middle Child'" Pew
Research Center RSS. 2014. Web. 11 May 2016.

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