Florida Tree Planting: Article and Pictures

The Miami Herald
DOWN-TO-EARTH IDOL
POP SINGER HELPS PLANT TREES WITH STUDENTS REFURBISHING LINCOLN PARK

BY NATALIE P. McNEAL

Dressed in Nike running shoes, navy blue cargo shorts and a lilac-colored polo-style shirt, pop star Clay Aiken was a hit again on Saturday.

This time, though, the former contestant on Fox-TV's American Idol was not singing, but planting trees and laying fresh mulch at Hollywood's Lincoln Park alongside a group of student volunteers.

Now the neighborhood has a slew of new trees on its streets, fresh mulch for its park and memories of a pop star visit.

Aiken visited the north central Hollywood neighborhood Saturday, boosting morale for National Volunteer Day participants. At the event, students with learning disabilities planted Foxtail palms along with mainstream school students.

''It's amazing to see the kids with disabilities and without disabilities working together,'' said Aiken, who is a former special education teacher. ``Everyone is different and functions at a different level, but can still work together.''

Aiken, who was in South Florida receiving an award for his work with special education children, decided to join the students as they volunteered.

For just under an hour, Aiken gathered mulch, shook hands and held hands, and took photos with the more than 40 student volunteers at the park.

He made new friends with many of them, including Danny Wieder, 18, a special education student at Cypress Bay High in Weston.

Aiken helped Danny put on oversized work gloves to put down mulch. He made sure the gloves fit over the boy's five fingers.

''Good job, high five,'' Aiken told Danny. ``You want to throw some more dirt?''

The student volunteers came from Pembroke Pines and Weston.

Fans of Aiken, also known as ''Claymates,'' came from as far away as Baltimore and New Jersey to watch him work.

The women -- some of them much older than the 26-year-old Aiken -- traveled to support their favorite ex-American Idol contestant.

Lynn Martin, 35, of southern New Jersey, traveled to South Florida to see Aiken speak at a conference on Saturday at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Aiken also performed there Saturday night with vocal music students from from Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School in Miami-Dade.

Martin learned that Aiken also would be making an appearance at the Hollywood tree plantings, and decided to show up there, too.

''Most of our husbands dislike him because much of our attention and money goes to seeing him,'' Martin joked.

''I love his voice,'' said Pam Cloonan, 60, of Plantation, who waited at Lincoln Park Saturday morning for Aiken to arrive. ``I love what he is doing for the kids of America.''

Saturday's group of volunteers were a mix of Flanagan High Navy Junior ROTC students and others from both Flanagan and Cypress Bay high schools who participate in the Best Buddies program. The program pairs students with intellectual disabilities with mainstream students.

Flanagan High student Adonis Lebada, 17, of Pembroke Pines, helped break down dirt on Fillmore Street for the tree planting.

''It makes me feel good,'' Adonis said. ``When I plant a tree, I can come back when I'm old and see what I did.''

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PICTURES FROM THE CB:
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