Clay Aiken's Pipes Shine, Portray Benefit Message

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS - Clay Aiken performed "My Grown Up Christmas List" during the True Colors benefit concert Sunday. View video by bigappleforclay full screen at YouTube.

Pipes, Calendar Peaks, Pepsi P.S.

'MGUCL' Defines Benefit Purpose

Clay Aiken's incredible pipes, a simple keyboard accompaniment, and the sublimely relevant "My Grown Up Christmas List" epitomized the purpose of Sunday's benefit concert for LGBT homeless youth in the New York City's Beacon Theatre.

For many, the North Carolinian's exquisitely nuanced vocals were the performance highlight of the Cyndi Lauper & Friends Home for the Holidays Concert last weekend.

Clay was accompanied by pianist-arranger Ben Cohn.

Double clickable graphic by Fountaindawg. Photos by Scarlett.

The evening also featured musical and comedy routines by the host, Norah Jones, Amy Lee, Cassandra Wilson, Rosie O'Donnell, Wanda Sykes, Jon Secada, Carson Kressley, Chely Wright, Skylar Grey, Vanessa Carlton, Angelique Kidjo, Harvey Fierstein, Deluka, Debbie Harry, Alan Cumming, and Randy Fenol.

Below are two clickable photos by Scarlett from Sunday's concert and the widescreen graphic by Fountaindawg. View the photographer's True Colors Home for the Holidays collection here.

2012 Calendars Top Past Record

A total of 129 Clay Aiken Calendars (58 desk and 71 wall) were ordered by fans this season, breaking previous sales records. Proceeds from the calendars, which have been shipped, will be donated to the National Inclusion Project.

Produced annually by Rosaratana with photos by toni7babe, the 2012 calendar features images predominately from the 2011 Tried & True Tour and is again being published in desk and wall versions.

Hippoga, also part of the 2012 team, helped select the photos and coordinated the inclusion of 20 calendars in the silent auction for the Champions Gala, this weekend's annual event of the National Inclusion Project in Raleigh, NC.

Below are clickables of the wall and desk calendar covers:

Printed on premium glossy card stock, the calendars can still be ordered through Rosaratana with delivery after Christmas. Costs are $12 for the desk size (8.27" x 3.74") and $25 for the wall version (11" x 8.5").

To place calendar orders, Paypal or email Rosa at rosash@comcast.net. Checks are accepted, and she will email you the address. Process time between orders received to calendars printed and shipped is approximately 3-4 weeks.

"I’m thankful to everyone for the support they have given to the NIP every year," said Rosaratana, coordinator of the annual project.

The 2011 calendar project generated a foundation donation of $965.62 through sales plus an additional $650 in Gala auctions.

New Hanover High School Band on Parade.

Pepsi Campaign Still in Progress

About 15 minutes before I left to teach Monday's lineup of music lessons, I received an email from my brother Chuck in Wilmington: "Yo! How about another Pepsi Refresh?"

Turns out our Alma mater, the New Hanover High School Band, is in the running for a $25,000 grant.

Having applied for the competition since June 2010, the band finally gained entry into the December 2011 campaign. A quick glance at the NHHS Pepsi Page and the band website on Monday and I knew these folks were in dire need of a crash course.

NIP Team To the Rescue

In four days, countless NIP supporters and charities with whom the foundation has partnered have come back from a long-awaited "Pepsi-less" existence and not only educated the NHHS coordinator, Dana Ward, and her troops but also introduced the novice team to possible causes for forming reciprocal alliances.

This is a sharp team, now fully functioning thanks to Royalle, who literally compiled a Pepsi Syllabus Monday afternoon. Countless NIP supporters and previous NIP partners are also helping the fledgling group.

On Monday, the NHHS Band was ranked in the 40's for the $25k grant. At "press time," they had marched to #20 with a Top 15 goal set for midnight Dec. 31. Please revive your voting techniques, use the Thank You/NC Widget in the sidebar, and help this group and the other causes listed.

Maximize: Vote 5 Charities 3 Ways

Most people reading the Carolina blog can't help but know the drill: Vote 3 ways for five charities daily: via a Pepsi ID (register if you haven't already), a Facebook ID, and a daily text of 110575 to 73774 (PEPSI).

Voting instructions and suggested comments are in the VOTE panel of the sidebar widget.

Next Time: Gala, Holiday Concerts

Almost every Clay Aiken fan I know is headed to Raleigh for this weekend's National Inclusion Project Champions Gala. I'll be playing oboe at Jamestown United Methodist Church Saturday/Sunday and planning student holiday concerts ... but more on all that next time!

Have a wonderful weekend, Clay Nation! Thank you for joining the NHHS Band and other NIP partners still vying for Pepsi funds!

Caro

Clay Aiken Fans Champion Charities

National Inclusion Project - Inclusion is giving people their rightful opportunity to participate. The NIP works every day to ensure no child sits on the sidelines.

For Pepsi Refresh Challenge

Inclusion Project Sets $50K Goal

National Inclusion Project supporters stormed out of the gate the first of November and claimed the #2 position of this month's Pepsi Refresh campaign for a $50,000 grant for the charity.

The foundation, co-founded by singer Clay Aiken and Diane Bubel in July 2003, must finish in the top 10 to win a November grant.

Through a variety of programs, including the Let's All Play Camps, the National Inclusion Project seeks to ensure that no child sits on the sidelines. Read more about the NIP at the foundation's website.

Register for a daily voting reminder at the NIP website. If the Inclusion Project wins a November grant, your name will be in a raffle drawing for an Apple iPad2. The daily email is excellent for forwarding to friends, relatives, and associates who will help the charity attain its goal.

Vote 3 ways to expand inclusive programs for all children.

The rules have changed since friends of the foundation successfully secured a Pepsi grant in December 2010.

* The Inclusion Project must win in November as there is no rollover from month to month.

* Advocates can vote 3 ways: via a registered Pepsi account, Facebook, and a daily text of #109857 to Pepsi (73774).

* Supporters have 5 votes for each avenue everyday, but only one NIP vote per method. Distribute the other four votes to charities supporting the foundation. These are listed in the NIP Voting Widget in this blog's sidebar.

* After each Pepsi/Facebook vote for the foundation's partners and allies, click on the Back to the Idea Page tab (upper left corner) to leave a comment. Reciprocating charities will return votes to the NIP accordingly.

* Best of all, there are no Pepsi power codes in this month's competition.

On Nov. 30, there will be 10 winners in the $50k category, now the highest award possible. Longtime supporters know the early momentum must be maintained in order to secure the grant.

Widget Makes Voting a Snap

A tremendous tool for Project supporters is the voting widget created by Scarlett with reciprocal info gathered by Royalle.

Jerry Aiken, executive director of the National Inclusion Project, not only approved the widget but also asked that supporters be reminded to vote all three ways. "We lose much-needed votes when people take the easiest route and text vote only."

Fresh off the press, the voting widget below links you directly to causes supporting the NIP.

Create your own comment, but be sure to include the NIP Pepsi page address and text number. Here is a sample:

The National Inclusion Project just voted for you. Thank you for your return votes! http://www.refresheverything.com/includingchildren and Text 109857.

The widget will be available here and in the Carolina sidebar throughout November.

2012 Clay Aiken Calendars - Order by Nov. 22!
Tried & True wall calendar cover is clickable.

2012 Calendar Deadline Approaches

The 2012 Clay Aiken Calendars are going back to the Gala as auction items. But before that, fans of the singer can order Tried & True wall or desk versions through the project's coordinator.

Produced annually by Rosaratana with photos by toni7babe, the 2012 calendar features images predominately from the 2011 Tried & True Tour and is again being published in desk and wall versions.

Hippoga, also part of the 2012 team, helped select the photos and coordinated the inclusion of 20 calendars in the silent auction for the Dec. 9-10 Champions Gala, annual event of the National Inclusion Project in Raleigh, NC.

Sample of monthly desk calendars. Double click to enlarge.

The calendars, printed on premium glossy card stock, can be ordered through Rosaratana between now and Nov. 22. Costs include $12 for the desk size (8.27" x 3.74") and $25 for the wall version (11" x 8.5").

To place calendar orders, Paypal or email Rosa at rosash@comcast.net by Nov. 22. Checks are accepted, and she will email you the address. Process time between orders received to calendars printed and shipped is approximately 3-4 weeks.

As in the past six years, all proceeds after costs will be donated to the National Inclusion Project. Thought not an official NIP fundraiser, this project is sponsored annually by the Together for Inclusion Alpha Chapter of Aiken 4Clay.

The 2011 calendars generated a foundation donation of $965.62 through sales plus an additional $650 in Gala auctions.

Completed orders will be mailed by the first week of December.

Clickables by dancerdad.

Celebrity Apprentice Sneak Peeks

If you are following Clay Aiken message boards, tweets, or Facebook posts, you are no doubt aware that our guy is involved in another NIP fundraiser through Celebrity Apprentice.

The clickable photos above by dancerdad were taken during filming of a Celebrity Apprentice task for the show's 2012 telecast. Thursday's sale of New York City guidebooks by the men's team was well-documented by dancerdad and other Big Apple residents.

Have an awesome weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro

2012 Clay Aiken Calendars Set for Gala Return

2012 Clay Aiken Calendars - Order by Nov. 22!
Tried & True wall calendar cover is clickable.

Wall, Desk Versions in Auction

Aiken Calendars Headed to Gala

The 2012 Clay Aiken Calendars are going back to the Gala as auction items. But before that, fans of the singer can order Tried & True wall or desk versions through the project's coordinator.

Produced annually by Rosaratana with photos by toni7babe, the 2012 calendar features images predominately from the 2011 Tried & True Tour and is again being published in desk and wall versions.

Hippoga, also part of the 2012 team, helped select the photos and coordinated the inclusion of 20 calendars in the silent auction for the Dec. 9-10 Champions Gala, annual event of the National Inclusion Project in Raleigh, NC.

Sample of monthly desk calendars. Double click to enlarge.

The calendars, printed on premium glossy card stock, can be ordered through Rosaratana between now and Nov. 22. Costs include $12 for the desk size (8.27" x 3.74") and $25 for the wall version (11" x 8.5").

As in the past six years, all proceeds after costs will be donated to the National Inclusion Project. Thought not an official NIP fundraiser, this project is sponsored annually by the Together for Inclusion Alpha Chapter of Aiken 4Clay. The 2011 calendars generated a foundation donation of $965.62 through sales plus an addition $650 more in the Gala auction.

To place calendar orders, Paypal or email Rosa at rosash@comcast.net by Nov. 22. Checks are accepted, and she will email you the address. Process time between orders received to calendars printed and shipped is approximately 3-4 weeks.

Sample of wall calendar months. Double click to enlarge.

The 2012 calendars are being shipped as orders arrive. Below is fan mail from a happy customer:

The calendars came yesterday, and you did a wonderful job as usual. After seeing it, I'm thinking of buying another one for my mom. She's still a Clay fan at 91, and I think she'd enjoy looking at those photos every month. I will send another check off to you this week.

GoodSearch/GoodShop Support Charities

With your assistance, the National Inclusion Project could win an additional $1,000 donation in September's GoodSearch Registration Contest!

The charity with the most new registrations by September 30 will claim this prize. You can help the Inclusion Project win by spreading the word to friends, family and colleagues via Facebook, Twitter, and an email at this link.

Remember that every time you go through the GoodSearch and GoodShop sites for Internet searches and purchases, you add revenue for the Inclusion Project. To date, that total is $16,449.48 -- a penny or two at a time as supporters search and shop through these sites.

Pennies Become Dollars with GoodSearch

GoodSearch is a Yahoo-powered search engine that donates 50% of its revenue, about a penny per search, to listed American charities and schools designated by its users. The money donated comes from the site's advertisers.

More than 96,000 non-profits are participating in the program. GoodSearch was founded in November 2005 by siblings Ken and JJ Ramberg.

In September 2007, the GoodShop online shopping mall was launched. A percentage of each purchase is donated to the user's designated charity. GoodShop is affiliated with more than 1,300 online retailers including Amazon, Target, Staples, eBay, Best Buy, and Apple.

A toolbar is available for Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers. Read more about the GoodSearch/GoodShop sites here.

Have a wonderful weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro