EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- To celebrate the Diamond Anniversary of the game of SCRABBLE, Hasbro Inc. is auctioning off a one-of-a-kind SCRABBLE: Swarovski Encrusted Board Edition, featuring more than 30,000 sparkling Swarovski crystals to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The winning bidder will get the game -- and a brush with fame. The board was the centerpiece of an exclusive celebrity SCRABBLE tournament held in June and took center stage as celebrities vied for the coveted title of SCRABBLE Celebrity Double Champions. The board comes with a commemorative plaque signed by the celebrity players -- Jimmy Kimmel, Daniel Kellison, Seth Green and Skeet Ulrich -- who faced off in the final match up played on the board.
Each sparking crystal on the game was meticulously selected to match the new SCRABBLE: Diamond Anniversary Edition Game board's signature colors and was painstakingly applied by hand. The specially commissioned board has an estimated value of $20,000. Along with the autographed plaque, the winning bidder will receive the game board, a set of crystal-encrusted glass SCRABBLE tiles, four glass tile holders and a glass tile box and display case.
Hasbro and St. Jude are partnering with eBay Giving Works to auction off the Swarovski Encrusted SCRABBLE game online. The public can bid on the game at http://www.ebay.com/scrabble between now and October 30, 2008. Proceeds from the board will benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the premier center for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases.
Store, Fold, Grab and Go: New SCRABBLE: Diamond Anniversary Edition Game
The SCRABBLE: Diamond Anniversary Edition Game is designed with one idea in mind: to spoil SCRABBLE players wherever they go. From the sleek folding carrying case to the two slide-and-store trays, there's never been a more convenient way to enjoy the popular game.
The new edition features a redesigned game board that keeps the letter tiles in place, a rotating base and curved tile holders so players can keep their letters a secret. In addition, the game board is refreshed with a modern color palette and box design, and folds for easy portability. Two built-in side trays provide easy, compact storage, and a game case handle makes it easy to grab a game and go. The SCRABBLE: Diamond Anniversary Edition Game is now available at mass merchandise and toy stores throughout America for the approximate retail price of $34.99. For more information on SCRABBLE and game playing tips, visit http://www.scrabble.com/.
Sixty Years of SCRABBLE
A family favorite since 1948, SCRABBLE's meteoric rise began when an out-of-work architect from Poughkeepsie, New York decided to invent a board game. Alfred Mosher Butts attempted to create a game that would use both chance and skill by combining features of anagrams and the crossword puzzle. He studied the front page of The New York Times and did painstaking calculations of letter frequency. His basic cryptographic language analysis and his original tile distribution have remained valid for almost three generations and billions of games played, according to the National SCRABBLE Association. Butts was initially turned down by two game companies that thought the game had no commercial potential. Sixty years later, SCRABBLE has sold over 100 million sets worldwide and there are between one and two million sold each year in North America. Today the SCRABBLE game is found in one out of every three homes in America, according to Hasbro.
The appeal of SCRABBLE is that anyone of any age can play. And because it's a game that brings families and friends together, every word counts, and every word is a winner. For example, more than one million students play SCRABBLE in more than 20,000 schools nationwide. Adults also play SCRABBLE to have fun, build vocabulary skills and keep their minds sharp. In fact, a recent survey conducted by Russell Research for Hasbro found that 20 percent of baby boomers surveyed believe SCRABBLE is the board game that has the greatest impact on their mental acuity or sharpness.
About Hasbro
Hasbro is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world. SCRABBLE, the distinctive game board and letter tiles and all associated logos are trademarks of Hasbro in the United States and Canada and are used with permission.
About St. Jude
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fund-raising organization. For more information, please visit http://www.stjude.org/.
Contact:
Denise Dixon Leach Patricia Riso
Carmichael Lynch Spong Hasbro Games
(773) 525-5225 (413) 526-2307
