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

Clay Aiken Fans Pursue Pepsi Power Codes, Votes

Vote THREE ways to fund inclusive programs for all children.

Supporters Enlist New Voters

Power Codes Prove Wild Card

The National Inclusion Project serves to bridge the gap that exists between young people with disabilities and the world around them.

Supporters of the National Inclusion Project are prowling for power codes and a greatly expanded voting force in the charity's quest for a $50,000 grant during the final days of the August Pepsi Refresh Challenge.

Fans of singer Clay Aiken, Inclusion Project co-founder, are casting votes for the NIP and a host of reciprocating charities. Having dropped to #13 Friday, foundation supporters hope to enlist an army of new voters this weekend.

Throughout the year, Pepsi gives away millions to fund charity ideas that refresh the world. No longer is there a month-to-month rollover, so supporters must complete the goal by midnight Aug. 31 and obtain as much mileage as possible from each day's allotment of votes at the Pepsi site, Facebook, and cell phone texting.

The wild card in this season's competition is the power code, which can be obtained from specially-marked Pepsi products inside yellow bottle caps and under the tops of appropriately marked cartons of canned drinks.

In addition to the normal 5 votes allowed (1 NIP + 4 Reciprocals), 10 power code votes can be cast for the Inclusion Project with each registered ID at the Pepsi site. Codes can expand a single vote by 5, 10, 15, 25, 50, or 100 points.

Fans Share Power Code Finds

Below are some of the ways supporters are rounding up more votes. Hopefully, these discussions will spark an idea that works for you. Share suggestions in the comments, and I will add them to the list.

scorpionlady45: My co-worker, who buys 2-liter Pepsi bottles to keep at the office, returned from lunch. I saw him with a bag and asked, "Did you get Pepsi with yellow caps?" He answered in the affirmative and said he had one at his desk that he could give me now.

I also sent out a text to six people and told them they have a mission to complete (text voting). Got three texts back so far with "mission complete."

all4luv: The best place to "shop" for Pepsi caps is a baseball game! Anyone going to a professional game, just stay afterwards and help clean up the park, so to speak. You can fill a bag with caps in no time at all! I'm hoping to go to an Indians game next week and see how many caps I can gather.

Shamrock: I went to our local minor league baseball team play tonight. The stadium sells Pepsi products, so I kept my eyes open for power caps. Most people were drinking beer or water, but my sister and I managed to find 32 caps.

I’m sure I would have found more if I could have opened the recycling bins. I did see one in the trash, and - YIKES! - I reached in for it.

Our 32 caps were worth 500 extra votes. The NIP is still in 13th place, so the charities above us must have lots of voters and lots of caps. I wish I could think of other ways to find yellow caps. The baseball team plays at home for the next 4 or 5 days, so I plan to attend another game.

Clayscience21: Word of caution. Pepsi Max has zero calories but double the caffeine of regular Diet Pepsi. I'll be up all night. But it did taste good, and the liter bottle did have a power code!

Desertrose: Just think of the energy it will give you to clean your house now that we know the wonders of Pepsi in all kinds of cleaning operations.

It is a win-win situation. We support the National Inclusion Project with bonus points, and we get the bonus of extra energy from all that caffeine to clean our houses. Not to mention all the ways Pepsi can be used to clean and repair. [See 51-item related list below].

CTLover1: We stopped at Sam's for a few minutes on our way home. They have a big recycling bin at the bottom of the parking lot and what did I see? A woman "diving"!!! She'd even brought her own ladder! My first thought was, "Wonder if she's looking for yellow Pepsi caps?!?!?!?"

MagicalMusic: If everyone purchased 5 bottles of Pepsi, that would be a minimum of 25 additional votes per person. As was mentioned before, CVS has 2 liter bottles for 88 cents. I bought 5 yesterday and will use the codes tonight. [NOTE: Some stores are running low on the power cap bottles, so call ahead!]

Vickie: Check your local Walgreen's this week. Starting Sunday, the ones around here will have 12-packs, six for $13.

SueReu: I dropped by the bottle return area at the store near my work and found three codes. I'll keep checking!

Thankful4Clay: A friend on Facebook just sent me seven codes. One was for 50 votes, and two were 25's!

morganette: Perhaps some of our Canadian members who live in the border cities will be in the U.S. during the next 12 days (for shopping, visiting, business, etc.) and they could help by picking up some bottles of Pepsi and PM the codes to US message board friends to vote.

I went to the Dollar Store again last night less than 10 minutes away and bought 10 bottles for $1 each. The first one I opened was 50 votes! I've only opened 3 so far. Hope there are some more 50's. Still waiting for a 100!

dancermom2: Wonder if any of our Canadian friends would like to sponsor buying Pepsi for those in the States who can vote?

goldarngirl: I'm in! Just let me know how you want to do this. It's cheaper than my driving across the border to buy 10 bottles.

Jerry Aiken: Power votes are "powerful!" Ask your convenience store about discarded cartons and bottle tops. Sports events have bottle tops being tossed away. CVS has Pepsi bottles on sale and a special for 2 six packs. Let's MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Scarlett: This weekend hold an online Power Voting Party with entertainment, food, and all the extras. Bring clack, but mainly bring power votes.

Hopefully, the energy and excitement of the online party will generate ideas for obtaining more power caps. The whole group can contribute and have fun while doing so!

The NIP ensures that children nationwide can experience all that life has to offer.

Group Texts, Circles of Friends Help

Have you posted a request for assistance from church, school, workplace? A concise message in a daily/weekly communique or posted on bulletin boards could make a difference.

If you have access to a large gathering (club/faculty/business meeting, church group, wedding reception, etc.), conduct a GROUP TEXT. Have everyone take out a cell phone and text 108169 to 73774 with the volume turned up. The mass "thank you" replies from Pepsi will be resounding!

The Pepsi site is complicated for casual voters. However, everyone can easily follow this simplified version:

1. Text a daily vote: 108169 to 73774.
2. Vote for the NIP daily via Facebook.
3. Gather power codes from Pepsi products.

For friends, family, and associates willing to register and vote through Pepsi, point them to the link in the bottom left corner to cast ballots daily for the Inclusion Project. When voting for the reciprocal charities on the NIP Voting Widget, please leave a comment with this info:

The National Inclusion Project is voting for you. We really need your help as we must place in the Top 10 for a $50k grant. Thank you for all your return votes! http://www.refresheverything.com/inclusionproject ... Text 108169.

From the National Inclusion Project website: Need an email you can edit, modify, or use as is to enlist the aid of those in your circle. Click here to download a letter to family and friends to ask for their help.

Alternative Pepsi Uses Yield Codes

So what if Pepsi is not your preferred drink, how can you help gather the all-important power codes? The list below is from a 2008 WiseBread blog entry by Paul Michael: Living Large on a Budget.

51 Uses for Coca-Cola (But Use Pepsi Instead!)

1. Remove grease stains from clothing and fabric.
2. Remove rust; methods include using fabric dipped in Coke, a sponge or even aluminum foil.
3. Remove blood stains from clothing and fabric.
4. Make gooey Coke funnel cakes .
5. Clean oil stains from a garage floor; let the stain soak, hose off.
6. Loosen a rusty bolt; pour on some Coke and wait for the magic to happen.
7. Kill slugs and snails; a small bowl of Coke will attract them, and the acid will kill them.
8. Help a lawn become lush and green.
9. Prevent an asthma attack! Apparently, the caffeine in two 12oz cans can prevent the onset of an attack.
10. Defrost a frozen windshield. Apply liberally and wait.
11. Clean burnt pans; let the pan soak in the Coke, then rinse.
12. Descale a kettle using the same method in #11.
13. Neutralize a jellyfish sting.
14. Clean car battery terminals by pouring a small amount of Coke over each one.
15. Cure nausea; let a can of Coke go flat then take a teaspoon of Coke every hour.
16. Also, flat coke can help relieve an upset stomach (aka "the runs").
17. Make a Mentos & Coke exploding fountain. This one takes a 2-liter bottle of Coke.
18. Get rid of hiccups; gargle with a big mouthful of ice-cold Coke.
19. Shake up a can and pour it over your windshield to remove bugs and other crud. [Diet Pepsi works best for this!]
20. Use the method in 19 for your car bumpers, too.
21. Clean your engine; Coke distributors have been using this technique for decades.
22. Relieve congestion; boil a can of Coke and drink while hot to clear you up.
23. Make a sweet BBQ sauce. Mix a can of Coke with ketchup, and brush over ribs or chicken.
24. Baste a ham roast with Coke as it cooks. The sugars will caramelize; the ham will be moist.
25. Add a can of coke to your pot roast to tenderize it and add extra flavor.
26. Make pretty pennies; soaking old pennies in Coke will remove the tarnish.
27. Make your hair curly; pour flat Coke onto long hair, leave for a few minutes then rinse.
28. Age documents and photos; for that antique look, apply Coke, pat with paper, leave to dry.
29. Clean tile grout: pour onto kitchen floor, leave for a few minutes, and wipe up.
30. Mix a can of Coke with a packet of Italian seasoning; cook a tough steak in it.
31. Make better compost; Coke increases the acidity, adds sugars and feeds microorganisms.
32. Dissolve a tooth in it. Use a sealed container, this takes ages. Why would you want to though, unless you’re Hannibal Lector?
33. Remove gum from hair; dip into a small bowl of Coke, leave a few minutes. Gum will wipe off.
34. Get silky skin; mix a spoonful of Coke with regular lotion and apply liberally.
35. Make low-fat brownies .
36. Pour a little in a cup and set it out an hour before a picnic, away from your site; it will attract wasps and bees so they’re not bugging you and your grub.
37. Remove stains from vitreous china.
38. Got a dirty pool? Add two 2-liter bottles of Coke to clear up the water (it acts as rust remover).
39. Add Coke to your laundry to remove bad smells, especially fish.
40. Remove (or fade) dye from hair by pouring Diet Coke over it.
41. Mop a floor with Coke to make it sticky. It’s a movie industry trick to stop actors slipping.
42. Remove marker stains from carpet. Apply Coke, scrub, then clean with soapy water.
43. Clean a toilet; pour around bowl, leave for a while, flush clean. [Also great for cleaning drains!]
44. Apply to skin for a deep tan (although this seems like a recipe for skin cancer to me).
45. Supposedly, drinking an 8oz can of Coke every day can prevent kidney stones.
46. Add it to a Sloppy Joe mix
47. Perk up your azaleas or gardenias.
48. Coke and aluminum foil will bring chrome to a high shine.
49. Strip paint off metal furniture; soak a towel in Coke, sit it on the surface for days. Make sure you keep adding Coke to keep the towel wet.
50. Add it to vodka, rum, or bourbon.
51. Drink it straight from the can, if you can (too sweet for me)

Let's make August a huge fund-raising success for the National Inclusion Project so that children nationwide can experience all that life has to offer!

Have an wonderfully productive weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro

Clay Aiken Fans Pull Out Stops for Inclusion Grant

Vote 3 ways to expand inclusive programs for all children.

NIP at #10 in $50k Drive

Widget Makes Pepsi Voting a Snap

Clay Aiken fans are pulling out all the stops to keep the National Inclusion Project, charity co-founded by the singer, in the top 10 of the Pepsi Refresh Challenge in order to successfully secure a $50,000 grant for the foundation in August.

There is no roll-over from month to month, so supporters must complete the goal during August and get as much mileage as possible from each day's allotment of votes at the Pepsi site, via Facebook, and cell phone texting.

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 and to make use of power codes. "We lose much-needed votes when people take the easiest route and text vote only."

With the one-month setup, little has been said about reciprocal votes this time around, but there are charities supporting the Inclusion Project and vice-versa. Fresh off the press, the voting widget below provides lists of causes supporting the NIP.

Daily, cast your 5 allotted Pepsi and five Facebook votes using two of the five groups (1 NIP + 4 reciprocals) on the widget. Be sure to leave a comment on the reciprocating charity's page. After you vote, look for the link at the upper left corner that takes you back to the "idea page."

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/inclusionproject and Text 108169.

The widget will be available in the Carolina sidebar throughout August.

Power Votes Multiply Quickly

The rules have changed since friends of the foundation successfully secured a Pepsi grant in 2010, the biggest being the use of power codes. Below is an outline of the process:

* Advocates can vote 3 ways: Via the Inclusion Project Pepsi Page, a Facebook account, and a daily text of #108169 to 73774 (PEPSI).

* Supporters have 5 votes for each avenue everyday, but only one NIP vote per method (not counting Power Voting). Distribute the other four votes to charities supporting the foundation. They are posting in the comment section on the NIP Pepsi page.

* POWER VOTES: The biggest change in the Pepsi Challenge is the use of power codes found in the specified bottle caps and carton boxtops of canned drinks. The codes will convert a single Pepsi vote into between 5 and 100 power votes.

Locate the power codes on specially-marked Pepsi products listed below. When you enter the Pepsi Refresh site, click on "power votes," enter a code, and you will be shown your total.

All of your power votes can be voted for a single idea. You can "cash in" as many as 10 power vote codes daily. After entering the power code in the white area, hit "activate." Just below the number of additional votes the code added (5-100) are two links.

Click on the one marked return to your last idea, and you will be taken back to the NIP voting page to enter additional power codes. Up to 10 daily!

Even if you have cast your ID's 5-vote allotment, you can continue with up to 10 power codes via the Activate Power Voting link at the bottom of any Pepsi page (see yellow cap). If the NIP was not your previous vote, search for the charity's page and then proceed with the power codes. After that, simply click on the "last idea" link.



PEPSI PRODUCTS WITH POWER CODES

10 oz bottle Pepsi, Diet Pepsi (bottle cap)
2 liter bottle Pepsi, Diet Pepsi (bottle cap)
12-can package Pepsi, Diet Pepsi (carton top)
20-can package Pepsi, Diet Pepsi (carton top)
24-can package Pepsi, Diet Pepsi (carton top)

Fans Share Recruitment Tactics

The 8/5 Carolina entry outlined several successful tactics Clay Aiken fans are using to locate power codes and recruit others to vote for the NIP.

Here are some more. If you have suggestions, please post them in the comments; and I will add them to this segment.

queenmama247: My niece is getting married Saturday, and I have been helping. Yesterday we were putting together the wedding favors, and I noticed there was an orange ribbon pin. The groom-to-be has a niece with leukemia, and they are very involved in supporting that charity. They just completed a motorcycle ride for his niece. Besides the pin in the favors, there will be a card with info for donating to the cancer society.

When we were getting ready to leave I had to hurry and text in my NIP vote. The groom inquired about the Inclusion Project, and I was off and running.

Bottom line is at the reception he is going to have the DJ have everyone take out their cell phones and do a group text for the NIP! That will be over 200 people! He said this is in return for my helping them. Dang I am excited!!!

cameocat: I found 20 oz. Pepsi and Diet Pepsi bottles at the Dollar Store today with power vote caps. I got three of them - 50, 10, and 15 power votes! Cheaper than the liter bottles I bought on sale the other day!

I took my own advice and emailed family, friends, music parents/students asking for daily text votes and power codes. Nothing works as well as one-on-one, however. All week I have talked with students and parents about texting and gathering yellow power code caps/canned carton tops.

First thing we did at Jessicca's 1 p.m. piano lesson today was take out her cell phone and text a vote for the NIP. A few minutes later we heard Pepsi's reply loud and clear! The student also promised to have her parents do the same and to continue throughout the month.

Turns out this family drinks lots of Pepsi, and she will be gathering power codes for the NIP the rest of August!

Erica, an eighth grade violinist, and her mother Julie are texting/voting daily. In last year's NIP Pepsi campaign, Erica set a reminder on her cell phone so she wouldn't miss a day of text voting.

Let's move the National Inclusion Project into single digits! Have an awesome weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro