Tour Pre-Party Coordinators...Ways To Promote The Bubel Aiken Foundation At Your Party

Its almost Tour Time! And we all know that means that there will be concert pre-parties all over the country as fans gather to enjoy Clay in concert again. Well, Mamarose10 at The Clayboard has posted a letter from Aron Hall at BAF which gives some great ideas to promote BAF at your party, including a surprise! Check out Aron's letter below, and let's use some of the ideas at our parties around the country!

Pre-concert Party Coordinators,

We are extremely grateful for your generosity and commitment to giving all children the opportunity to live life to the fullest. Because of your leadership the Foundation is supported on so many occasions throughout the year. It is once again tour time and many of you have asked how you can help promote TBAF at your Pre-concert Parties. On behalf of our children, I would like to thank you for your support. To help you make a difference, we have compiled a few suggestions on ways to help and a little surprise.

Our Friend Mikayla
Our Friend Mikayla is the story of a child with severe developmental disabilities who finds friendship with her peers. The book was written and illustrated by third-grade students at the Lower Nazareth Elementary School, Nazareth, PA. It is an honest portrayal of the children’s first reactions to Mikayla, their barriers to acceptance and finally the true friendship they formed with her.

When Mikayla’s family moved to Pennsylvania four years ago, the idea of full inclusion for a child with severe developmental disabilities was relatively new. Yet in keeping with their personal philosophy, they requested that Mikayla be included in a regular first grade class. What they found was that Mikayla’s classmates accepted Mikayla and began to see her as “just like them.” Their relationship with Mikayla and their journey to acceptance inspired the book.

The children have dedicated Our Friend Mikayla to “all people with disabilities and their friends.” When they chose the dedication, one of the children realized that might mean they were dedicating the book to everyone in the world.

You may consider displaying “Our Friend Mikayla” and giving party attendees the opportunity to order it on The Bubel/Aiken Foundation website, www.bubelaiken.org.

Wrapping for Inclusion
It is never to0 early to begin planning for our 4th annual holiday gift-wrapping awareness campaign and fundraiser, Wrapping for Inclusion. WFI will take place in shopping malls and stores across the country November through December. TBAF volunteers will wrap gifts in exchange for donations to the Foundation. Your party could be a time to spread the word about this opportunity to volunteer in your community. If you have an established WFI team, you can recruit additional volunteers. If you do not have a team in your area, use this opportunity to find out who is interested.

This is also a great time to collect wrapping paper for the event. Encourage participants to bring rolls of wrapping paper in exchange for a prize.

TBAF Flyers
A one-page flyer with the TBAF mission is available for download at our website at www.bubelaiken.org. Please see the downloadable forms page.

Beta Alpha
Many of you are already members of a Beta Alpha chapter. Make sure to spread the word to those that may not be a part of your team. Beta Alpha chapters have come together to raise funds and build awareness for full inclusion. Beta Alpha volunteers are dedicated, proactive, giving individuals committed to giving children with disabilities a fully included life.

Change for Change
In our country today there is approximately $10.5 Billion in loose change out of circulation. By encouraging participants to bring their “change” you will allow the Foundation to further its mission to provide children with special needs the opportunities to have access to recreational programs in their communities, which will allow them to be included in activities where all children can learn and play and have fun!

Contact us by June 20, 2007 to order a “Change for Change” box. We ask that you convert your change to check or money order and forward it to the Foundation’s address.

Please expect to receive 10 of the new TBAF plastic bracelets for your Pre-concert Party. Feel free to be creative in the way you choose to use them.

In addition, we think you will be eager to receive a little surprise. Each Pre-Concert Party coordinator will be sent a Clay Aiken-autographed Our Friend Mikayla book to raise funds for TBAF at their party. We look forward to seeing all of the creative ways you use the book to raise funds to further the foundation’s mission. To request the autographed copy of Our Friend Mikayla for your Pre-concert Party, please email us your contact information, party date, and location. Proceeds raised from your party should be received by the Foundation no later than 2 weeks after your party date.

The Bubel/Aiken Foundation is proud to be the guiding force for inclusion of individuals with disabilities across the nation. Because of your support, programs to further the mission of TBAF have gone forth. The vision is to expand these programs nationwide and the is why continued support is necessary

For the past four summers, The Bubel/Aiken Foundation has implemented its Summer Camp Program, Let’s ALL Play, at YMCAs across the country. Let’s ALL Play gives children with and without disabilities the same summer camp experience with their peers. Let’s continue to work together to reach our goal of supporting 100 Let’s All Play camps in 2008.

Sincerely,
The TBAF Staff—Jerry, Kristy, and Aron