Clayboard Celebrating Clay's 30th Birthday With "Fundraiser" and "Acts of Kindness"

Clay will turn 30 on November 30. That is less than 2 weeks, in fact, only 12 days.

One way you can celebrate Clay's 30th birthday is by participating and The Clayboard's annual Clayboard Team for Inclusion TBAF Two Fold Birthday Celebration Project, which includes (1) a fundraiser for The Bubel Aiken Foundation, and (2) encouraging people to reach out to others in various acts of kindness.

A thread is set up at The Clayboard which is dedicated to this celebration.
You can go to the Clayboard Team 4 Inclusion Clay's B-day BAF Fundraiser and read all about it, or just read below about the details. Mamarose at the Clayboard has written up a wonderful explanation of the Birthday Celebration Project:

Before I get into details of this year's Birthday Celebration Project, let me explain how you can become a part of our Clayboard Team for Inclusion TBAF Beta Alpha Chapter!

What is Beta Alpha you ask:

"Beta Alpha is a nationwide community project where groups come together to raise funds and build awareness for full inclusion. Beta Alpha allows you to turn any event, golf tournaments, tennis matches, marathons, auctions, into one that helps support the goal of inclusion. It will also allow people to make individual donations to join the cause."

Anyone wishing to be a member of The Clayboard Team for Inclusion must register individually. Registering is very simple and only takes a minute or two. Go to the Beta Alpha Individual Registration Page. Fill out the form you see there. On the form, you will see a space asking you to fill in the name of your chapter/group. If you wish to become a part of our Clayboard chapter, there you should type in our title, Clayboard Team for Inclusion. It is as simple as that! Of course individuals may register without becoming a member of a chapter, but we really would love to build a great Beta Alpha Chapter here at The Clayboard and we hope you will join us. Registration is open to EVERYONE!!!

***And now on to our Clayboard Team for Inclusion TBAF Two Fold Birthday Celebration Project!!!***

PART ONE of our Birthday Celebration Project will be a fundraiser to benefit The Bubel/Aiken Foundation. To make a contribution to our TBAF fundraiser, please CLICK HERE: TBAF DONATION PAGE and follow the directions given there to make your online donation.

IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: IN ORDER TO HAVE YOUR DONATION COUNT AS A CLAYBOARD TEAM FOR INCLUSION DONATION, you must include the name of our chapter when filling out the donation form. In the box marked "Beta Alpha Chapter," just type in Clayboard Team for Inclusion. That way your donation will go into the total being raised by our Chapter for this drive.

Also note that the donation form offers suggestions for donation amounts, but there is also a box included for "Other" in which you can write in the donation amount of YOUR choice. Please remember...NO DONATION IS TOO SMALL!

Although TBAF will keep a tally of the contributions coming in, as we did last year, we will also be manually tabulating our daily totals so we can keep you posted on how the fundraiser is coming along.

So, after you have made your TBAF donation, please follow these steps:

Send a PM Mamarose10 (take the link above to the Clayboard thread and click on Mamarose's name in the first post to send her a PM) and include in your PM the following information:

1. The total amount of your donation (Type carefully & accurately please!).

2. Your screenname, if you wish to be included on a participant list that will be published with birthday greetings to Clay. If you chose, you can also be listed as Anonymous.

Please note: Donation amounts will NOT be published. Every donation, large or small, is important and equally appreciated!



PART TWO of our project will be a little different. We all know that sometimes monetary donations are just not possible, but that should never stop anyone who wishes to take part in Clay's birthday celebration. Those who cannot make a monetary donation to TBAF at this time, are welcome to instead participate in some thoughtful and intentional acts of kindness in Clay's name. It can be anything from helping an elderly neighbor to volunteering at a local soup kitchen or whatever you choose.

The names of ALL participants, both those who make a monetary contribution and those who perform an act of kindness, will be included on a birthday card to be presented to Clay at the end of the month.

To participate in the Thoughtful and Intentional Acts of Kindness Project, please follow these steps:

Send a PM Mamarose10 and include in your PM the following information:

1. A BRIEF synopsis of your act of kindness.

2. Your screenname so we may include you on a participant list that will be published with birthday greetings to Clay. If you wish, you can also be listed as Anonymous.


****Lurkers/non-Clayboard members who would like to participate may feel free to donate and email clayboardadmins@gmail.com to report their donations.

As the days go by, we will try our best to keep you posted with updates on how our fundraising and acts of kindness totals are coming along.

Our fundraiser will officially end at Noon Eastern Time on November 29th. As soon as we are able we will post the total amount raised.
So let's get this party started!!!!!! If you have not done so already, please join us in becoming a member of our Clayboard Team for Inclusion Beta Alpha Chapter, and let's make this a month where we show Clay that we support him, love him and celebrate each and every day the joy he has brought to all of us!

Thanks to Mamarose for this explanation. Please give if you can, and you can help make this a memorable celebration for both Clay and The Bubel Aiken Foundation.

Tidbits 9/10

• Yahoo News - In an article called "Shopping Channel QVC Sees Music Opportunities", Clay is mentioned as follows:

  So far this year, QVC has broadcast only two music shows -- for Clay Aiken's "On My Way Here" and Randy Travis' "Around the Bend" -- with a third one planned for September 12 on James Taylor's "Covers."...
  
  ...Aiken's QVC appearance seems to have inspired 25,000 scans through the nontraditional nonstore Internet/mail-order/venue category, which accounted for 27% of his album's first-week sales of 94,000 units in the week ended May 11, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Year to date, it has sold 150,000 units.

  
  
• GoodSearch.com - GoodSearch has a new page called "Who's Doing Good?" which, according to their site "feature(s) celebrities, musicians, athletes, and companies that are helping to make the world a better place." Today's celebrity is Clay!
  
  Click on Clay's picture on the homepage (link above) and you will be brought to the "Who's Doing Good?" page. Here'a little of what it says about Clay:

  As Diane and Clay’s friendship grew, it became apparent they both shared the same vision – a world where children of all abilities were offered the experiences of full inclusion. Their goal became to create TBAF and make this shared vision a reality.

Beta Alpha "Cooking For Inclusion" Cookbook will Be Reordered If Enough Copies Are Requested

Did you order a Beta Alpha "Cooking For Inclusion" cookbook and now wish you had ordered one for your mom, sister, and best friend? Or did you just not get your order in by the deadline? Apparently there are quite a few others in your shoes right now, and requests have been made for more cookbooks.

Cindy, who along with Carol, put in lots of hard work to put these cookbooks together, has spoken with the publisher about the possibility of reordering, and here is the news she brings to us:

I have many requests for additional cookbooks. I spoke with the publisher, and I would need 200 orders to get a reprint.

I am keeping a waiting list, and if I think we approach that, I will reorder, so if you are interested in ordering and/or have shown it to people and they are interested in ordering, I need to know to track the additional requests. Please email me at cindyskuce@cox.net. We will also correct the few minor errors we came across when we do a reprint.

So, if you are interested in becoming your own version of Rachel Ray or Paula Deen via this wonderful cookbook (I've already checked out the recipes!!), send an email to Cindy and let her know how many you'd like to order. Remember, this is a fundraiser for The Bubel Aiken Foundation. Also, your Beta Alpha Group gets credit for $10 per cookbook if you let Cindy know the name of your group.

Here is some more information about the cookbooks:

"COOKING FOR INCLUSION"
2008 VOICES OF BETA ALPHA COOKBOOK
TO BENEFIT
THE BUBEL/AIKEN FOUNDATION

We need 200 additional cookbooks to reorder
Price: $20.00 (includes shipping)
Cost Breakdown: $10.00 goes to TBAF
$6.25 covers printing expense
$3.75 covers shipping

The cookbook includes 461 recipes from the chapters, Faye Parker, Aron Hall, Kristy Barnes, Jerry Aiken and the rest of the TBAF board and staff. There is also a write-up about each chapter and what inclusion means to them. They make a great gift.

Each Beta Alpha chapter will get credit on their BAF scoreboard for the number of cookbooks ordered under their chapter. If you do not belong to a chapter, you can designate which chapter is to get your credit. To clarify, if you order 5 cookbooks and $50.00 goes to BAF, that $50 goes on your chapter scoreboard.

Founders Day Cruise to Alaska Will Benefit The Bubel Aiken Foundation

Have you ever dreamed about going on an Alaskan Cruise? How about an Alaskan Cruise that includes Faye Parker and Diane Bubel, co-founder of the Bubel/Aiken Foundation? Well, Diane Walsh has done it again and will be making the arrangements for all those interested in this fantastic deal. Why not come sailing with us?


The cruise will be on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines ship Rhapsody of the Seas and will depart from Seattle, Washington on May 22nd 2009, returning to Seattle on May 29th, 2009. You will need to arrive in Seattle on the May 21st 2009 in order to be there in time for the cruise departure. Royal Caribbean will donate a portion of the cabin charge for every cabin booked, and used to the BAF. Other means of benefiting TBAF will be discussed pending approval from the Foundation.


Your ports of call, at this time, will be Juno, Skagway, Tracy Arm Fjord, and Victoria, British Colombia. Pricing upon request, Diane must get your commitments now however, as time and space are limited. Don't forget that there are about 30 excursion trips that may be added to your voyage, including panning for gold, flying over the glaciers, wilderness trips to gaze upon the grizzlies. The excursions are at an extra charge, but they can add to the total cruise experience.

Since space is limited, deposits must be in by September 29th if you want a guaranteed balcony or junior suite. The deposit per cabin would be $500.00 or if you are sharing it would be $250.00 per person based on double occupancy. Inside cabins, if still available, can be deposited on at a later date, but must be arranged at this time. Airfare can be arranged through Royal Caribbean or you may obtain it on your own.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. Please e-mail Diane if you have any questions at dawalsh2@aol.com.

New Blogger Joins Clay's Daily Double

As you all know, there are changes going on at Clay's Daily Double. Clayisouridol has had to step down as owner of CDD and has turned it over to me. I want to thank everyone for your patience as we have stepped away from giving you daily updates on what's going on in ClayNation. Though I am now back to writing some articles for our blog, I won't feel comfortable in my new position for a little while yet. So your patience will continue to be very much appreciated during this "learning time".

I do want to introduce CDD's newest blog writer to you. Her name is "justclayvn", and her first article, Champions of Change Award, is in today's blog. We will both be "learning the ropes" in our new roles at CDD, but we promise to continue to give you the best possible news blog that we can during this time and down the road.

Thank you for your continued readership, and if we can do anything better, please write us a comment.

Nice Article In Raleigh Telegram About Clay on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader"

If you're like me, I couldn't wait to watch Clay on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" once again. Even though its been less than a year since he was on, it was almost like watching it for the first time for me. But maybe some people watching it didn't realize that this was a repeat and that Clay was just now winning the $300,000 for The Bubel Aiken Foundation. I can understand that happeneing. And that's how it appears to be in today's article in The Raleigh Telegram. Its a really great article about Clay winning $300,000 on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader". And oh well, I'll take great articles even if they are almost a year late!!

Here is an exerpt from that article. You can click right here, The Raleigh Telegram, to go to their site and read all of this wonderful article.

Raleigh's Clay Aiken Wins Big On Game Show

By Elliott West, Raleigh Telegram 30.AUG.08
RALEIGH - Well known singer Clay Aiken of Raleigh appeared on a national game show, winning $300,000 for his charity, the Bubel-Aiken Foundation on Friday night.

The special celebrity edition of the "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader" game show, hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy, aired on the Fox network on Friday night, August 29th.....

.....Aiken did very well on the show and progressed easily through the topics, as he won more money for his charity to help children as he went further.

As an example of some of the questions he answered correctly, Aiken knew that Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol", that Rome is the capital of Italy, the Oriole is the state bird of Maryland, and correctly did a math question involving pies being divided into pieces.

The crowd seemed to be fully behind Aiken, as he joked with Foxworthy along the way.....

.....Foxworthy praised Aiken for his charity work at the end of the show.

"You are a quality human being and a man of character," said Foxworthy.

"I may not be smarter than a fifth grader, but I know when to take the money and run," joked Aiken.

Because of this great win by Clay, The Bubel Aiken Foundation was able to fund 30 additional camps this summer for children with and without disabilities to attend together. And that's worth a repeat performance any day!!

Less Than 35 Beta Alpha Cookbooks Remain To Be Sold -- Proceeds Go To The Bubel Aiken Foundation

Via The Clayboard - Less than 35 of the "Cooking For Inclusion" Beta Alpha cookbooks are left to order. Cindy, the co-chair of the Beta Alpha Cookbooks, tells us, "As of Saturday, July 12th, 35 left - thank you so much!!"

When all 500 cookbooks have been sold, BAF will receive $5000!

Here is the information for purchasing the cookbooks. Get your order in fast before they sell out!

The Beta Alpha Joint Chapter Project

"COOKING FOR INCLUSION"
2008 VOICES OF BETA ALPHA COOKBOOK
TO BENEFIT
THE BUBEL/AIKEN FOUNDATION

Shipment in July 2008

Price: $20.00 (includes shipping)
Cost Breakdown: $10.00 goes to TBAF
$6.25 covers printing expense
$3.75 covers shipping
If you elect to pay by PayPal add .75 per book for PayPal Fee 22 Beta Alpha Chapters and the TBAF board, staff and family contributed favorite recipes from around the country to Use Their Voices as One in support of the inclusion mission of The Bubel/Aiken Foundation. You will definately want at least one of these cookbooks for yourself. It includes 461 recipes from the chapters, Faye Parker, Aron Hall, Kristy Barnes, Jerry Aiken and the rest of the TBAF board and staff. There is also a write-up about each chapter and what inclusion means to them. They make a great gift.

Each Beta Alpha chapter will get credit on their BAF scoreboard for the number of cookbooks ordered under their chapter. If you do not belong to a chapter, you can designate which chapter is to get your credit. To clarify, if you order 5 cookbooks and $50.00 goes to BAF, that $50 goes on your chapter scoreboard. Cindy will be doing all the recording and sending the money to TBAF and advising them which chapter gets the credit. TBAF is aware of this procedure.

Payment Information:

1. You must designate which chapter the $10.00 per cookbook credit goes to.

2. Checks can be made payable to: Cindy Skuce, 28 Sandra Circle, Coventry, RI 02816. She has to take out her $6.25 and $3.75 to recoup print and shipping costs, then the $10.00 goes to TBAF.

3. PayPal orders go to donskuce@att.net Please add .75 per cookbook ordered to cover PayPal fees. Indicate "cookbook" in your message and remember to provide your full name and address for shipping. If you have any questions on ordering, or the cookbook itself, please e-mail those to Cindy Skuce at cindyskuce@cox.net or Carol Erickson at musicfan427@hotmail.com. We will be happy to answer your questions.

Thanks in advance for your orders and for supporting this project. We can all make a difference in the life of a child and their family by supporting the Foundation and its' mission of inclusion.
Cindy Skuce/Carol Erickson
Cookbook Chairpersons

TBAF Announces 2nd Annual Golfing for Inclusion

This year's first Bubel Aiken Foundation Golfing for Inclusion was such a massive fundraising success that the TBAF is now making turning it into an annual event.

The 2009 event, to be held on January 26, 2009, will once again be hosted by the Mirasol Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. More information will be posted to the Bubel Aiken Foundation website in the near future.

Korean Magazine Interviews Clay

A Korean magazine, The Dosirak Web Magazine, has interviewed Clay. Bloomingclay at The Clayboard, has tanslated the interview into English for us. Many thanks to her for doing that! Here is what she posts for us:

Dosirak is legal music download site in Korea and each week they publish the webzine(web magazine) which have artist interview every week.
It seems that the interview was done as similar time period as the Singapore magazine interview was taken.Anyway,I translated the interview.As it was translated English->Korean first and I translated the Korean article into English, it is NOT exactly what Clay said.

Anyway,enjoy!

Here is the link(just click 'No' if pop up asks about installing the program.Ignore!) It talks about his journey before/during/after Idol and interview and then review which was attached to licensed CD here(I will translate them later).I only tranlated the interview part.

http://www.dosirak.com/Webzine/Webzine/WebzinePaper.asp?vol=31&paper=15&SSO=f

dosirak: Congratulations on your new album.You must have been busy with working on your album.Tell us what you have been doing recently.
Clay Aiken: We just finished the musical on Broadway recently and we are now spending our time mainly on promoting the new album with TV appearances and interviews.
dosirak: Your new album debuted at No.4 at Billboard chart.Congratulations.You must have a special feeling when you have a success with your every album.How do you feel?
Clay Aiken: Who would not be glad about it? I feel already previledged to be able to keep doing the music and I'm so happy that people keep support me.
dosirak: When I listen to the lyrics of your single 'On My Way Here', it seems like it is about your story last a few years. What does the song mean to you?
Clay Aiken: We are educated at school but that is just a small part.We rather learn more from the experience in our lives. There is a saying 'If you give someone a fish,you're just giving him a meal for a day but if you teach him how to fish,you are giving him meals for rest of his life.' Every person you meet and every experience we go through in your life makes you who you are. This song is about learning from experience and becoming a wiser person.
dosirak: Let's talk more about your album.Is there a favorite song on this album?
Clay Aiken: I love most of the songs so it's hard to pick, but if I have to choose one, I want to choose 'As long as we're here'. This is the first song that made it for this album. Three years ago when tsunami hit Indonesia, I went there for the Unicef trip,the song was recorded after that. It talks about 'Do not worry about small things and let's just care about important things and people you love as there is limited time for us in the world'.
dosirak: We heard that before the release of the album, everytime Claymates have parties.Did your fans hold the party this time?And what your fans mean to Clay?
Clay Aiken: Claymates hold parties to celebrate the album release,not for me.Also,parties are held in various cities so I couldn't go there.I heard that many fans gather and have a great time. Of course,they mean a lot to me.Had it not been fans' support since American Idol,I would have not been here.
dosirak: You're working as Unicef goodwill ambassador.Is there the most memorable moment as a Unicef ambassador?
Clay Aiken: There are many.One of them is that when I went to Indonesia, people quickly restored their environments and had postivie attitudes despite dire situation.It was really touching.They are strong and brave people.It gave me an opportunity to reflect myself.I thought how blessed we are for being able to live day by day safely.
Also,the most impressive one is when I visited Afganistan.It was shocking to see people living without all the energy facilities for a long time and above all I felt really sad when I saw children suffering.However,they showed the power not to give up despite their situation.
dosirak: Along with Unicef,you also established the Bubel/Aiken Foundation.What is your plan for the foundation this year?
Clay Aiken: We try to make programs for children with disabilities to get along with children without disabilities so that they can experience the childhood that children without disabilities go through. This year,we plan to start summer camps and prepare a fund for future summer camps.
dosirak: What do you think of 2008 American Idol? Is there a contestant that can be as successful as you are?
Clay Aiken: Unfortunately,I haven't watched American Idol for three years,so I don't know anything about contestants.
dosirak: I guess you will tour after the album release,is there a plan?Plus,is there any plan to visit Korea.
Clay Aiken: Personally, Korea is the country which I really want to visit.However,right now,there is no plan for the tour.We don't have a plan even for the US.I think that if I promote the album now,people will get interested and then other countries will get interested in me.So right now we try to concentrate on promoting the album.
dosirak: Last request,please say hi to your fans in Korea
Clay Aiken: It's always amazing and thankful that people listen to my song far away in Korea.Thank you so much to fans for likiing the music I like and
for continuing to support me since American Idol. But it's only a small part of me that was shown on American Idol. I want to show other parts of me more when I visit Korea.Until then,please keep listening to my music. Oh! Please spread words about me!

Tidbits 6/12

• David Archuleta inks record deal with 19/Jive Records:
  • SheKnows.com -

    Our bets are that Archuleta will be a pop star akin to Clay Aiken, another number two finisher, compared to his winner, Ruben Studdard.

  • Associated Content - why David Archuleta got signed to Jive instead of RCA -

    RCA and Jive Records are part of the same conglomerate Sony/ BMG.. While RCA works well with more established artists, Jive Records is a better fit for younger artists. American Idol's Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, and Chris Daughtry are signed with RCA while Jordin Sparks is signed with Jive Records. Reigning American Idol David Cook is signed with RCA.
    

• Post-Tribune - Aiken's TBAF funding summer camp for 20 children this summer -

  Let's ALL Play Hobart camp
  
  Through the generosity of popular entertainer Clay Aiken, 20 Hobart children, ages 3 to 5, will enjoy a fun-filled day camp through the Let's ALL Play initiative.
  
  This "inclusive recreational model" has camps set up nationwide each year to serve children with special needs. This year, there will be 20 camps, including Hobart.
  
  For the second year, 10 children with disabilities will join 10 children without at the Hobart YMCA for swimming, arts and crafts, story time and to learn that they are not that different.
  
  The Center for Possibilities (Cerebral Palsy Center) and Hobart YMCA took advantage of a grant set up by the Bubel/Aiken Foundation to make this possible.
  
  In a recent booklet, the Hobart camp was said to be a "model worth copying."
  

• Broadway World - Clay performs for President Bush earlier this month at the National Theater in Washington D.C.:

  Actor Hal Holbrook, Trisha Yearwood, Clay Aiken, Michael Lanning, Gene Miller, Brandi Burkhardt, Cheryl Freeman,Lauren Kennedy, Capathia Jenkins, Ray McLeod, and Maya Angelou were some of the main performers and artists present. The musical was directed by Jeremy Roberts, the orchestra was conducted by Kim Scharnberg, and the gospel choir was conducted by Dave Clemmons. Jeff Calhoun directed the performance.

• American Chronicle explores our "obsession" with celebrities -

  Obsession with celebrities has gotten out of control, and shows like Celebrity fit club and dancing with the Stars reveal how truly absurd this phenomenon has become. Who would you rather be stranded on an island with, Clay Aiken or Marilyn Manson? Obsession with celebrities makes us dumber as a society. In line at the store all you see is Star and People Magazine promoting celebrities.

• There Was A Man - Clay's AOL Sessions performances
• Something That Really Happened - two Clay videos charting at AOL Music -

  At this moment, Clay now has two videos charting on AOL's Top 11 Music Video Countdown Show. "Ashes" is currently #2 in the countdown and "Everything I Don't Need" is #7.
  

Tidbits 6/9

• Bleacher Report - random mention -

  "I have thrown lots of people under the bus in my career," Guillen says, barely above a whisper now. "My players...My GM...the owner...The guy who washes the towels...the girl behind the counter at Taco Bell...my hairdresser...some homeless guy in Seattle...Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice...Clay Aiken...Lots of people...Lots and lots of people."

• red bank green -

  Well, it might not star Clay Aiken, or even Harry Connick Jr. (who toplined the cast in a recent Broadway revival), but George Abbott's 1950s musical The Pajama Game — with songs by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross — is a fun outing that's more than just a relic of its Mad-Men era.

• All That Is Clay Aiken - on "using your voice" -

  I read a very thought provoking statement a few days ago.It was in an interview Clay Aiken had with a Singapore newspaper called TODAY.
  
  “That’s what’s so great about America,” he said, laughing. “One of our valuable amendments to the Constitution — freedom of the press — is also one of the crappiest. You can write anything you want. You don’t need to have any proof or any truth to what you write.”
  

• Carolina On My Mind - TBAF ready to fund over 30 summer camps this summer -

  The Bubel/Aiken Foundation, co-founded by entertainer Clay Aiken, recently announced more than $500,000 in grants to support 30+ programs nationwide as part of the organization's Let's ALL Play program.

  
  
• Clay - The Man - different "perspectives" of Clay Aiken

Article From KTVZ News In Oregon Tells of The Bubel Aiken Foundation's $10,000 Grant To Park and Recreation District

Not long ago, The Bubel Aiken Foundation announced the giving of $500,000 in grants to over 30 programs as part of their Let's All Play program. KTVZ.com, Oregon's "online news leader" has posted an article saying that "Bend Metro Park and Recreation District was one of the recipients of $10,000 toward enhancing its inclusive programs."

In addition, the article says:

Using this grant money, Bend Metro Park and Recreation District will be able to:

• Expand inclusion staff
• Receive a program model and Foundation training from Bubel/Aiken
• Continue to work toward achieving the goal of Let's ALL Play, which is to assist child and youth organizations in moving toward full inclusion.

If you would like to read more about the Let's All Play program and the programs that received the grants, go to the Bubel Aiken Foundation.

Announcing "Cooking For Inclusion" - Voices For Beta Alpha Cookbook - An Approved Bubel Aiken Foundation Fundraiser

Announcing
The Beta Alpha Joint Chapter Project

"COOKING FOR INCLUSION"
2008 VOICES OF BETA ALPHA COOKBOOK
TO BENEFIT
THE BUBEL/AIKEN FOUNDATION

NOW READY TO ORDER

Shipment in June 2008

We have 500 cookbooks right now to fill orders
Price: $20.00 (includes shipping)
Cost Breakdown: $10.00 goes to TBAF
$6.25 covers printing expense
$3.75 covers shipping
If you elect to pay by PayPal add .75 per book for PayPal Fee

22 Beta Alpha Chapters and the TBAF board, staff and family contributed favorite recipes from around the country to Use Their Voices as One in support of the inclusion mission of The Bubel/Aiken Foundation. You will definately want at least one of these cookbooks for yourself. It includes 461 recipes from the chapters, Faye Parker, Aron Hall, Kristy Barnes, Jerry Aiken and the rest of the TBAF board and staff. There is also a write-up about each chapter and what inclusion means to them. They make a great gift.

Each Beta Alpha chapter will get credit on their BAF scoreboard for the number of cookbooks ordered under their chapter. If you do not belong to a chapter, you can designate which chapter is to get your credit. To clarify, if you order 5 cookbooks and $50.00 goes to BAF, that $50 goes on your chapter scoreboard. Cindy will be doing all the recording and sending the money to TBAF and advising them which chapter gets the credit.

TBAF is aware of this procedure.

Payment Information:

1. You must designate which chapter the $10.00 per cookbook credit goes to.

2. Checks can be made payable to:

Cindy Skuce, 28 Sandra Circle, Coventry, RI 02816.

She has to take out her $6.25 and $3.75 to recoup print and shipping costs,

then the $10.00 goes to TBAF.

3. PayPal orders go to donskuce@att.net

Please add .75 per cookbook ordered to cover PayPal fees.

Indicate "cookbook" in your message and remember to provide

your full name and address for shipping.

If you have any questions on ordering, or the cookbook itself, please e-mail those to Cindy Skuce at cindyskuce@cox.net or Carol Erickson at musicfan427@hotmail.com.

We will be happy to answer your questions.

Thanks in advance for your orders and for supporting this project. We can all make a difference in the life of a child and their family by supporting the Foundation and its' mission of inclusion.

Cindy Skuce/Carol Erickson
Cookbook Chairpersons

Bubel Aiken Foundation Announces Details For Raleigh Gala

The Bubel Aiken Foundation website has information now posted about their 2008 Gala to be held on October 18, 2008, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Below is the information as it is listed at their website:

2008 Champions of Change
October 18, 2008

It is with great pleasure that The Bubel/Aiken Foundation invites you to sponsor and attend our annual “Champions of Change” Gala.

Featuring a special performance by Clay Aiken and recognition of our Champions of Change honorees. The gala will be a celebration of the inclusion of people of ALL abilities. The evening will promote awareness of the benefits of inclusion and support The Bubel/Aiken Foundation’s programs which give children with disabilities the opportunity to experience life with their typical peers.

“We hope everyone will join us for an enjoyable evening including dinner, silent and live auctions, entertainment - all in support of inclusive opportunities for all children,” said Clay Aiken.

Event Details
Champions of Change Gala
October 18, 2008 at 5pm

Join us for a formal evening recognizing our Champions of Change honorees.

Evening Activities:
•Dinner
•VIP Reception for Designated Sponsors
•Silent and Live Auctions
•Entertainment by Clay Aiken

Raleigh Marriott City Center
501 Fayetteville Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27601

http://www.marriottraleigh.com/

To receive a special rate on your accommodations, please call 1-800-228-9290 and ask for The Bubel/Aiken Foundation special rate.

Platinum Sponsor: $25,000

Secures table for ten. Includes:
•Designation as Corporate Event Host
•Premium seating
•VIP Reception with Clay Aiken
•Individual photos with Clay
•Event Host identification in all promotional and program advertising.


Gold Sponsor: $10,000

Secures table for ten. Includes:
•Reserved seating
•VIP Reception with Clay Aiken
•Group photo with Clay
•Excellent placement in all promotional and program advertising


Silver Sponsor: $5,000

Secures table for five. Includes:
•Reserved seating
•VIP Reception with Clay Aiken
•Group photo with Clay
•Ad in program with prominen placement
•Excellent placement in all promotional and program advertising.


Individual Sponsor: $250

Individual admission

* Space is limited. Early registration is encouraged.

To sponsor a table, email contactus@bubelaiken.org or call 919-882-2152.
Individual tickets will be available for purchase online. Date to be announced.

Gather.com's Interview with Clay

We were promised a while ago that Gather.com would interview Clay. We got the heads up that the interview is now up on Gather.com, based on questions submitted by fans. The interview is focused around Clay's work with the BAF and UNICEF:

[...]

Gather: Karen M. asked "As for UNICEF I would be interested to know of the locations that you have visited; which is the first one that you would you like to return to for a follow-up visit? Why?"

Clay: I've been to Indonesia, went there after the tsunami, I've been to Uganda in the same year to see the effects of the war and that was one of the most devastating things I've ever seen in my life. I went to Afghanistan last year for what UNICEF was doing there, and spent this past Christmas in Mexico.

[...]

Gather: Jean A. asked, "You have recently mentioned that you may be going on a UNICEF trip this summer...can you talk anymore about that? Your trips to Banda Aceh, Uganda, Afghanistan, and Mexico brought so much awareness about the plights of others around the world. I'm looking forward to your next trip!"

Clay: We usually don't talk about trips before I take them for security reasons. While we don't say where we're going, but of course when we talked about Mexico, its ok, but typically they like to send me places where they are scared that they could lose me so we don't usually don't talk about where I'm going before I go for those reasons.

[...]

Gather: Sandy P. asked, "Do you get to go to any of the camps and participate with the kids. I hope so, I know how much you love and care about them. I hope you get to enjoy their joy at times."

Clay: I have done that a few years ago and we tried doing them last summer but I was on tour. We want to try to do some more of that this summer. I miss that part of my life. At the same time it can tend to be a distraction and that's not what I want to cause. It's not beneficial to disrupt the routine, but participating and interacting is something I love to do.


[...]

Gather: Debra B. asked, "Hey there Clay--just wondering what book are you reading right now? And do you have a favorite book from your childhood that you would love to read to your own children someday?

Keep up the good work! You have an awesome voice and a good heart. =)"

Clay: I'm actually not reading anything right now, but recently bought my favorite book from when I was a kid which is The Magic Hat of Mortimer Wintergreen by Myron Levoy.

Gather.com Releases New Clay "Webisode"

Gather.com is the latest media outlet to receive exclusive Clay Aiken "webisodes", promoting the new album. In this webisode, Clay talks about UNICEF and the BAF.

Bubel Aiken Foundation Fan Video Wins Goodsearch Contest

On March 25, Clay's Daily Double ran a story entitled Your YouTube BAF Video Could Raise Funds For The Bubel Aiken Foundation. If you entered a video about your favorite non-profit group and it won, you would win $100 for that non-profit group.

Well, Foxylady at The Clayboard got a notice from Kari McMinn at Goodsearch about a winner who sent in a video about the Bubel Aiken Foundation. Here's what that notice said:

I just wanted to let you know that BAF was featured in the winning video of the GoodSeach video contest! As a result, this video and BAF will be featured on the GoodSearch homepage on 4/11/08 and BAF will receive an additional $100 donation from GoodSearch which will be reflected in the amount raised page.

The winning video was sent in by Yollie950. You can view the video at Goodsearch or watch it below:



What a great video!! Congratulations Yollie!! And congratulations to The Bubel Aiken Foundation for winning $100 to help in the wonderful work that they do for inclusion!!

Final Results Are In For Parade's "America's Giving Challenge"

Last year, on December 13, Parade magazine began "America's Giving Challenge", giving people the opportunity to raise funds for their favorite charities. Clay's fans rose to the occasion, hoping to be one of the winners of $50,000 for The Bubel Aiken Foundation by having the most people give. Though we fell short by two places, we still raised a lot of money, including an additional $1000 for being in the top 100 charities.

In Sunday's Parade Magazine, an article entitled "The Joy of Giving" was included about the Challenge, and on Parade's online site, the final confirmed results of are in. The article, on Page 10 is called "The Joy of Giving" and states:

We called, and you answered: 48,000 readers responded to the first America's Giving Challenge. The Challenge generated $1.2 million in online gifts to more than 600 charities, with an average donation of $25. PARADE and the Case Foundation gave an additional $50,000 to the eight charities with the most individual donations, and 100 charities got an extra $1000. Among the winners: a foundation that helps Cambodian children and one that rescues abandoned animals. Stephen Hollister championed another winner - the IDEA League, which advocates for children with Dravet syndrome, a neurological disorder. "We fell blessed that our team effort gave us a way to fight back against this horrible disease," says Hollister, whose daughter has Dravet. To learn about all the winners, go to Parade.com.

Click on the red "100 Participation Award Winners" on the right side of the page online to see the listing of winners that includes BAF. BAF is second on the list of $1000 winners. Unfortunately there is no big artcle about the Giving Challenge online or in the magazine. I tried to contact them to see if there would be a bigger story about this later on, but I keep getting an "error message" that won't let me write to them. I'll let you know if I am able to reach them.

Great work everyone!! We done good for BAF and the children!!

Scrapping 4 Inclusion Announces New Program: "Let's ALL Scrapbook"

Scrapping 4 Inclusion, in partnership with the Bubel Aiken Foundation, announced their new program "Let's ALL Scrapbook". More information about the program and how you can get involved was made available in a press release:

Scrapping 4 Inclusion Announces the Let’s ALL Scrapbook Program in Conjunction with The Bubel/Aiken Foundation


NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 03/31/2008 - The Foundation was co-founded by Clay Aiken & Diane Bubel in 2003 to serve children with special needs and the goal of inclusion for ALL.


Scrapping 4 Inclusion is proud to announce its new Let’s ALL Scrapbook program. Let’s ALL Scrapbook is an inclusive arts & crafts program where children with and without disabilities get together and create a small scrapbooking project or other paper craft project.

The intention of Let’s ALL Scrapbook is to provide suggestions and instructions so that anyone can organize and offer this program to children in their community. Let’s ALL Scrapbook will take a simple idea and make it easy to follow with a goal that people just like you will take the initiative and go out to their community and get children with and without disabilities participating together in this activity.

Let’s ALL Scrapbook is a program that has been run in partnership with The Bubel/Aiken Foundation’s Let’s ALL Play program. It is intended to be an independently-funded and operated activity to promote inclusion. Therefore no application or approval is required to facilitate this program. However, it certainly can be offered as an additional activity for those who are offering the Let’s ALL Play program funded through the Foundation.

Kids’ crafts help to foster creativity and imagination. They give children a sense of accomplishment. By encouraging a child’s creative side, you will not only help to develop their imagination, but also improve the way they feel about themselves. Let’s ALL Scrapbook is intended to be a stepping-stone program to introduce inclusion to children and to members of our communities. It is designed to be run by anyone at any skill level. You do not have to be a teacher or an avid scrapbooker to make this program work. You simply need the desire to help bring inclusion to the children.

The Let’s ALL Scrapbook instruction manual is available for download on the Scrapping 4 Inclusion website. This manual has complete step-by-step instructions for operating a Let’s ALL Scrapbook program.

We encourage everyone to download their copy of the manual today and get involved. Get out in your community and scrapbook with the Kids.

About Scrapping 4 Inclusion
Scrapping 4 Inclusion (scrapping4inclusion.com) is an awareness and fundraising campaign where Volunteers across the USA will organize a Scrapbooking Crop in their community. A Scrapping 4 Inclusion Crop can be customized by each Organizer to fit with what they are personally able to manage and what the market in their community will bare. If you are interested in getting involved, we are always looking for additional volunteers to plan events in their own community. You do not need to be a scrapbooker to get involved; you only need the desire to help. The more volunteers involved the more voices there are to raise awareness.

For more information on Scrapping 4 Inclusion please visit their website.

About The Bubel/Aiken Foundation
The Bubel/Aiken Foundation (bubelaiken.org) provides services and financial assistance to promote the full integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of those without. The Foundation strives to create awareness about the diversity of individuals with disabilities and the possibilities that inclusion can bring. A step in the right direction, even if a small step, brings us closer to our goal. All children deserve to experience the fullness of a life lived without boundaries. Eliminating the stereotypes that have long been associated with physical and mental disability is the first step to erasing lines that divide us.

The mission of The Bubel/Aiken Foundation is creating communities where ALL children can learn, live, and play together. To learn more about The Bubel/Aiken Foundation visit their Website.

One Year Ago on March 31, 2007 - Bubel Aiken Foundation Gala "Champions of Change" Took Place

Its always fun to remember anniversaries and events that happened one year ago to the day. An especially wonderful and fun event that happened one year ago from this Monday, March 31, was the Bubel Aiken Foundation Gala, Champions of Change. As we all know, the gala was a huge success, not only in the amount of money that was donated, but also in the vocalizing and support of BAF's mission of inclusion.

A news article can be found at The Bubel Aiken website's news archives, and reading it is a great way to remind yourself of the many good things that happened that evening. Just a few exerpts are as follows:

The very special gathering was to celebrate and recognize the achievements of "Champions of Change" and to support the Foundation's mission of inclusion.

Diane proved once again that she is a true advocate for inclusion, and she continues to inspire everyone who is lucky enough to hear her speak with passion about inclusion and her very special family. Clay’s speech about how we all can be Voices for Change was equally inspiring and passionate.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Champions of Change awards. Awards of recognition for their efforts and continuous devotion to making a difference were presented to Jonathan Bunzey, the Youth Honoree ,Coach Jim Johnson, State Farm Insurance , and The Voices of Beta Alpha Volunteers. All the honorees graciously accepted their awards and showed a truly humble spirit in the midst of their incredible work to open doors for inclusion for children in their communities.

A Live Auction followed, and the generosity of the supporters was overwhelming. It was wonderful to see Clay Aiken interacting with the audience and the auctioneer in an effort that ended up surpassing all expectations. By the end of the auction, Clay announced that the supporters had more than paid for the Foundation’s “Let’s ALL Play” summer camps for the entire 2007 summer.... At the end of the evening, supporters had helped to raise $333,238.45!

And, of course, I think we can all remember how funny Clay was at the gala, auctioning off his ring and his shirt after making them even more desirable to be won than they already were!! Because of Clay and his shenanigans, the donations went way up and a fun time was had by all!

Congratulations to Bubel Aiken as we remember the great results of their Champion of Change Gala one year ago today!