Aiken Fans Aid Broadway Cares

RETRO CLAY -- The Jukebox Tour is the theme of cindilu2's November calendar, featured in the interlude, and the above graphic without dates. 2005 photos by Tasapio.

Spur Spamalot's BC/EFA Goal

Clay Fans Creative Fundraisers

Clay Aiken fans are nothing if not creative, evidenced by the ingenuity and wealth of ideas spurring the Spamalot company toward its final chance to be top fundraiser in the biannual Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS campaign.

Every year at this time, theatres across the country join forces to support Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

BC/EFA provides support to The AIDS INITIATIVE; The Phyllis Newman WOMEN'S HEALTH INITIATIVE; The Al Hirschfeld FREE HEALTH CLINIC and much more at The Actors Fund - an employee assistance program for the entire entertainment industry.

BC/EFA also makes grants to over 400 AIDS and family service organizations across the country - supporting food banks, health clinics and housing programs across the country.

Anyone can make a general donation to Broadway Cares or support the cause through a favorite show.

Deadline for participation is 11:59 p.m. Dec. 7. Online donations are fully tax deductible, and tallies are posted here.

Donors Honor 30th Birthday

Of the teams established for Spamalot donations, one honoring Clay's 30th birthday is currently listed among the leaders here.

Incentives for donations of $25, $50, and $100 through Broadway Cares include raffle eligibility for autographed playbills, roundtrip tickets anywhere in the continental United States, and a weekend getaway trip to New York City with VIP house seats to the show of the winner's choice.

Clay Fans Offer Suggestions

Since Spamalot will close at the end of the year, this is the show's last attempt to be the top fundraiser in the biannual event. Hugely successful at raising money for Spamalot's previous Broadway Cares drive, Clay posed the question in his latest OFC blog: What do fans really want in return for a donation?

Among the incentives suggested were fan pictures with Sir Robin and other cast members; envelopes filled with autographed confetti from the show's eventual finale; a 24-hour auction of costumes, accessories, scripts, scores, locks from wigs, etc.;

Also a Spamalot cast calendar; bids for Meet & Greets with the singer on his next tour; a Monday night musical review by the Spamalot cast similar to Clay's Jukebox Tour with 1,000 tickets selling at $200 each and DVD's of the performance for $50 each.

While members continue posting their ideas in Clay's OFC blog, I vote for the musical review. There's a lot of talent on the Spamalot stage, and many fans could participate in person while many more might be interested in purchasing a DVD. That's $200,000 for the live performance with plenty of donation icing in DVD sales.

There are precedents for a Monday Night benefit. Scroll to the subhead Capital Rocks to read how much Lion King raised with a similar event.

Hopefully, Eric Idle is already assembling just such a show, LOL!

PHOTO INTERLUDE: Clickable graphics from Spamalot, the recent TBAF Gala, and a November Retro Clay calendar include Amazing_CA, 1; ACA, photos by Butterflyshine, 2; cindilu2's November calendar, photos by Tasapio, 3; Fountaindawg, photos by SmartyPantsSuz, Toni7babe, and Claywishes, 4; and ACA, photos by PermaSwooned, 5.

Believe in Zero

In two new public service announcements, UNICEF Ambassadors Lucy Liu, Mia Farrow, Alyssa Milano, Laurence Fishburne, Clay Aiken and others proclaim their belief in "zero" -- a day when no children die from preventable causes.

Visit Believe in Zero to join the effort. The PSA's come in two forms: 60 Seconds and 30 Seconds.

Love Song Polls Reopen

Clay Aiken singles notched October wins in two categories at the Favorite Love Songs site -- "Everything I Don't Need" (favorite song not on the radio) and "On My Way Here" (current favorite love song) -- as polls were reset for November on Saturday.

Write-ins this month are "Something About Us" for Favorite Song Not On the Radio and "Ashes" as Current Favorite Love Song. Also, be sure to check Clay's circle in both the All-Time Favorite Artist and Current Favorite Artist contests.

Nominations of new songs/artists continue through Nov. 14, after which voting will begin. Bookmark, and vote your favorites once daily!

Below is a clickable of cindilu2's opening graphic. Widescreen versions of the graphic and calendar are available at the artist's website on Yuku:

Have an awesome weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro

TECHNORATI TAGS: Clay Aiken, On My Way Here, Monty Python's Spamalot, Broadway Cares, birthday, UNICEF, Believe in Zero, Favorite Love Songs, November calendar, Official Fan Club, Clay Nation