UNICEF Article

Press Release Source: U.S. Fund for UNICEF

Musical Artist Clay Aiken Appointed UNICEF Ambassador
Tuesday November 16, 8:26 am ET
Aiken Takes Message of 'Education for All' Center Stage


NEW YORK, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, multi-platinum artist Clay Aiken became a National Ambassador for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. A budding philanthropist and long time education advocate, Mr. Aiken will use his Ambassador status to help ensure that children everywhere are afforded a primary education.
"Education is the best investment any society can make for the health and well-being of its children," said Charles J. Lyons, president of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "Clay Aiken, like all of our National Ambassadors, was chosen based on his compassion and deep commitment to helping children around the world. We're very pleased to have him join the UNICEF family."

Long before his current singing career, Clay Aiken's life ambition was to work with individuals living with disabilities. Mr. Aiken intended to pursue a career in special education. Although his time and energy has turned toward the music industry, he remains passionate about assisting individuals with developmental delays, specifically children, to live full lives in the real world.

There are currently 121 million children not in school around the world. Ensuring that all children everywhere are given the opportunity for a solid education is one of UNICEF's highest priorities. Universally, education is the number one conduit for children's health, wellbeing and longevity. It also helps transform villages, communities, and nations, ultimately leading the world towards greater health, prosperity and stability.

Within the umbrella of education, UNICEF supports programs that train teachers, fortifies teaching curriculums, delivers school supplies; create emergency schools in conflict zones and emergency settings, and uses education to help prevent the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS.

"Everyone deserves the best start in life, which is what UNICEF is working to provide the world's most vulnerable children," said Aiken who is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina. "Education is essential to a child's development. I hope that as an Ambassador I can encourage people to join UNICEF's mission to make education a reality for children throughout the world."

Since his ascendancy on America's Pop Charts over a year ago, Mr. Aiken has founded his own foundation, the Bubel/Aiken Foundation. It will provide grants and other one-on-one services to individuals living with disabilities so that they may participate in programs and work environments that are normally designed for persons without disabilities. The foundation will encourage and facilitate community inclusion and the empowerment of individuals with disabilities.

ABOUT UNICEF

Founded in 1946, UNICEF helps save, protect and improve the lives of children around the world through immunization, education, health care, nutrition, clean water and sanitation. UNICEF is non-partisan and its cooperation is free of discrimination. In everything it does, the most disadvantaged children and the countries in greatest need have priority. For more information, please visit www.unicefusa.org or call 1-800-4UNICEF.

ABOUT THE BUBEL/AIKEN FOUNDATION

The mission of The Bubel/Aiken Foundation is to provide services and financial assistance to facilitate fully the integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of those without. The Foundation will create awareness about the diversity of individuals with disabilities and the possibilities inclusion can bring. Through collaborations with the disability, education, entertainment, and media communities, the Foundation will recognize those whose commitment to breaking the stereotypes attendant to the developmentally disabled has broken barriers and extended the boundaries of the human experience for all.