Friday, August 22, 2008

Aiken Celebrations Past & Present


MY FAVORITE THINGS -- Clay Aiken performs during 2007's Soft Rock in Hard Place Tour. Graphic by Amazing_CA, photos by Pink Cocoa.

TBAF Announces 'Change' Honorees

SRHP Reprise a 'Favorite Thing'

Although ticket gathering is in full swing for Clay Aiken's September return to Spamalot, the reprise of the 2007 Soft Rock in a Hard Place Tour would be incomplete without the enjoyable review a special fan provided.

In the third of four "My Favorite Things" compilations, SmartyPantsSuz assembled memorable video and photo highlights of the summer tour with a classic montage based on the classic song from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music.

In addition, Suz has also provided clickable versions of the video's 12 photo grids, each containing 20 pictures. That's high math, diligence, and 240 visual rewinds of Summer 2007 memories.

Many thnx to Suz for creating such an amazing medium for looking back. View the montage on the player below, or see My Favorite Things SRHP at YouTube where members can leave comments and rate the video.



My Favorite Things SRHP

If you would like your own copy, download the 40MB 2007 "My Favorite Things SRHP" montage with this Sendspace link. These are the 12 double clickable photo grids (1023 pixels each) from "My Favorite Things SRHP":


So Many Memories


Jackets, Jeans, and Rivets


Fun-Filled TV Medley


Newest Clack Gatherer


Bugs, Serenades, 'n Spotlights


Jesse Comes Through


Letters from the Fandom


Cool Songs for Clay


Bringing Sexy Back


Antics, Laughs Galore


Measure of a Voice


Because You Loved Me

More 'Favorite' Remembrances

For fans who haven't seen the previous MFT montages or would like a review, here are links to the other three compilations by Suz: My Favorite Things 2007, My Favorite Things 2006, and My Favorite Things Original.

"MFT 2007" covers the calendar year beginning with the Jimmy Kimmel Live Valentine appearance. Clay's surprise performance on the American Idol 5 Finale kicks off the "MFT 2006" montage, and the original version commemorates special moments dating back to American Idol 2.

TBAF To Honor Champions of Change

Earlier this week The Bubel/Aiken Foundation announced the 2008 Champions of Change honorees who will be presented awards at the gala benefit dinner Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Marriott City Center Hotel in Raleigh. The event also will celebrate the foundation's fifth anniversary,

This year’s honorees are CVS Caremark (corporate), Dan Habib, Betsy McNamara, and Rich Donovan.


The Foundation selects Champions of Change for their substantive efforts to extend the boundaries of the human experience to children of all abilities, in keeping with the Foundation’s mission of supporting communities with inclusive programs and creating awareness about the possibilities that inclusion can bring.

CVS Caremark Charitable Trust is being honored as a Corporate Champion of Change for their outstanding efforts to improve the lives of children with disabilities. The five-year, $25 million CVS Caremark "All Kids Can" program supports nonprofit organizations helping children with disabilities in school, in recreation and in developing skills for successful lives, all within an inclusive environment.

Champions of Change Dan Habib and Betsy McNamara turned their personal goal of educational and social inclusion for their son Samuel into a universal goal of ensuring that all children have the tools to reach their full potential.

The result is the film Including Samuel, which tells their son’s story of inclusion, along with the trials and triumphs of four other subjects. Dan is an award-winning photojournalist, director and producer of documentary films. Betsy, a fundraising consultant and an inclusion advocate, is the mother of Samuel, who has cerebral palsy, and Isaiah, who is typically developing.

Rich Donovan is being recognized as a Champion of Change for applying his world-class business acumen to creating means of empowerment for people with disabilities. He was a key to Merrill Lynch’s diversity strategy. As CEO of Integrated Process Solutions, Rich provides large corporations and governments with ready-for-action profit opportunities as a “return on disability”.

Rich, who has cerebral palsy, is Board Chairman of Lime Connect, showing real-life solutions - and real financial advantages - to hiring, working with, and providing products and services for people with disabilities. In serving children, he is an advocate of education as essential to the future economic and social success of individuals with disabilities.

The gala benefit celebration will feature a special performance by Clay Aiken, as well as dinner, plus silent and live auctions in support of the Foundation’s programs providing children with disabilities the opportunity to play, learn and grow side-by-side with their typical peers.

For more information, stay tuned to TBAF website.

Below is a clickable version of Amazing_CA's opening graphic:


Have a wonderful weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro

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55 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the great memories of SRHP tour.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the walk down memory lane. Clay Aiken is a class act!

Anonymous said...

I loved Clay Aiken's SRHP tour! That blend by ACA is beautiful, she is one of our best in working with blends which I consider Clay artwork!

Love all Smartypantsuz's grids in memory of the tour, too. Thanks for posting them again!

katy said...

Love the SRHP Clay Aiken tour. Thanks for putting allthat together.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful pictures and video. Thanks for the great Clay Aiken memories. What a tour it was!!!

Anonymous said...

you don't see me, I'm at work, but I had to click on the link and have a quick peek at your blog. LOVE all the pictures!!!

Thanks for the memories!!

SueReu

Ashes said...

Caro

What fun the SRHP collages are to see! They are just more of my Favourite Things..like Suz's montages. Perfection just perfection!

Thank you for the memories AND the great news of TBAF.
Ashes

Anonymous said...

2007 was such a fun year with Clay Aiken! 2008 has been just as much fun in an entirely different way. Part of the fun is how Clay keeps trying new things!

Anonymous said...

2007 was such a fun year in the Clay Aiken fandom. 2008 has been just as much fun in an entirely different way!

Anonymous said...

Clay Aiken tours are always fun! Reliving SRHP tour brings all the fun back. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

I can't get enough of the SRHP tour!! It was one of Clay Aiken's best ever!!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful blog about Clay Aiken. You do a GREAT job, Carolina Clay! Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Great memories from SRHP tour. Thanks for gathering those photos in one place. Hope this is the best BAF gala yet.

Anonymous said...

So nice to see all the memories of past Clay Aiken concerts. I love to relive the past except that makes me miss him so much more!

Anonymous said...

Great Clay Aiken blog. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the blog. Great memories of Clay Aiken on tour.

Anonymous said...

Such a fun tour. We'll see one again, 'cause he's the best!!

Anonymous said...

Clay Aiken tours are the most fun. I've met so many wonderful fans at the concerts I've been to. The fans get a bad rap sometimes.

Anonymous said...

Hope we have another tour next summer for OMWH - I'm going to love seeing him in Spamalot, but there is absolutely nothing like seeing him live in a concert setting.

The man is mesmerizing!!

Snarky said...

Thanks for the memories. I cannot wait until we get to witness another Clay Aiken tour.

Anonymous said...

I really like the picture at the top of your blog; the SRHP tour was so much fun! I traveled from Chicago to Tulsa to see one of Clay's concerts that summer, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat---it was definitely worth the trip!!

Anonymous said...

I feel so lucky that I got to see 4 SRHP concerts by Clay AIken. I look forward to the next tour (soon, I hope)

VINTIFIL said...

Thanks for the memories.

Seeing Clay Aiken live in concert is like opening gifts on Christmas morning, you never know what surprises you are going to get.

Clay is phenomenal in concert.

Anonymous said...

Didn't catch Clay Aiken's last tour, but those pics are yummy! Obviously I need to make sure to get to his next one - or maybe make a stop in NY this Fall...

anaturegirl said...

Caro, I love My Favorite Things vids. Thanks for the memories of this year's Clay Aiken tour.

Anonymous said...

It is such fun revisiting a fun summer tour. Clay Aiken sure knows how to put on a show.

Anonymous said...

Nothing compares to seeing Clay Aiken in concert....he should not be missed. Can't wait until he is back out on tour again!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for putting together wonderful memories of Clay Aiken's SRHP tour. It was one of my favorites, especially seeing him in Columbus with 12,000 people in attendance.

Anonymous said...

Suz did a fantastic job on those Clay Aiken favorite things montages.

~Shycon

Anonymous said...

There is nothing like seeing Clay Aiken live on tour! Great montage by suz and excellent job of putting it all together. I miss him.

Unknown said...

What a beautiful set of blends you have of Clay Aiken! The SRHP tour was certainly fun with Clay, Quiana, and Angela.

Anonymous said...

This was such a great tour. Clay Aiken's concerts are always so much fun!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the great trip down Clay Aiken memory lane!!!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for helping us to relive the Clay Aiken SRHP tour. That was SO much fun!!!

I know he's doing Spam again but I hope he tours SOON after that with his new CD (our soon, not his ! :>)

katy said...

Clay Aiken's SRHP tour was a favorite memory for me. What fun it was watching this outstanding performer.

SueReu said...

I could have SWORN I commented today!

Thank you so much for all the wonderful Clay Aiken memories!!! Makes my heart ache (I kind of miss him)

As always, great blog bringing back some great memories

Thanks Caro!!!

Anonymous said...

One of my favorites of Clay Aiken's tours. Thanks for the great memories.

Anonymous said...

Man! Clay Aiken is so photogenic! Those blends and photo montages are so yummy!

~Shycon

Anonymous said...

It has been confirmed that Clay Aiken will be at the BAF gala in Oct. I hope people planning to attend Spamalot don't schedule that night to see Clay and end up disappointed. It must have been negotiated for Clay to miss that night in Spamalot because the gala was planned before it was announced he would return to Spamalot.

Anonymous said...

Clay Aiken is such an outstanding entertainer. I love him live, nothing better. Thanks for the Favorite Things videos. What memories.

outback

Anonymous said...

Thanks Caro for these great memories of the SRHP tour! Of all the tours I was fortunate enough to see, this one was on the top of my list. We had funny Clay, dead serious Clay, mischievous Clay, loving Clay and of course singer Clay!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Hugs,
Sandy :)

Anonymous said...

I love Clay Aiken

Anonymous said...

I miss Clay Aiken on tour, but Spam is wonderful, too. Can't wait to see him on the stage again!

Anonymous said...

Clay Aiken has given so much of himself and contributed much to society and children with special needs over the past 5 years. I am so proud of him.

Dianajoe said...

Carolina is always on my mind! Why??? Because of That Carolina songbird!!! Clay Aiken!

Unknown said...

The Bubel Aiken Foundation's Champions For Change gala will be a fantastic honor for the honorees this year. A special performance by Clay Aiken will be a great highlight again this year.

Anonymous said...

If anyone has NOT seen Clay Aiken live, in performance, get thee at least to Spamalot! He is great as Sir Robin.

And, once he starts touring again get to one of his concerts. This is where he really shines - just being his funny, handsome, glorious voiced self.

I love, love, love me some Clay, any day, any way.

Anonymous said...

I love coming to this place to see all the beauty that is Clay Aiken. Thank you for this beautiful site.

Aspiegirl44 said...

Wonderful blog. I really like SmartyPantsSuz favorite things montages. Thanks for sharing of the Champions of Change Honories. It is nice to read of what others have done to make a difference.

See you when its time for hotmail class. heeeee

((HUGS))

Kathy

katy said...

The Bubel Aiken Foundation started by Clay Aiken and Dianne Bubel has really made a difference for many children and there is another Champions for Change gala coming up in September.

Anonymous said...

Clay Aiken brings a smile to my lips every single day...

Anonymous said...

Wow - this site is certainly a Clay Aiken Fest!! Wonderful :)

Anonymous said...

Clay Aiken is the best performer I have ever seen, bar none!

Anonymous said...

Wow, what great memories. Let the good times roll!

jbc4clay said...

Clay Aiken really knows how to put on a great show.
I love all of the collages and the video!