Clay's Blog

• USE YOUR VOICE! DONATE TODAY! :]

  10/09/06 4 Comments

  Hello everyone!

  I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post this, however, I felt this would be the place that it would garner the most attention. Many of you may or may not know me, but my name is Renei, I'm 17, and I live in the San Fernando Valley in California. As I'm sure many of you already know (and for those of you who don't, SURPRISE!) Clay was the spokesperson for Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF last year. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to raise any money last year for the cause, so this year, I'm hoping to do just that.

  I currently attend St. Genevieve High School, a private, Catholic high school in Panorama City, CA. We are a national school of character, the only Catholic high school in the nation with that honor, and our mission statement is "To know God, to live an honorable life, and to change the world." In an attempt to fulfill my school's mission statement, I'm going to attempt to change the world by raising at least $500 to donate to Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. Unfortunately, I cannot do this on my own. I need your help to reach my goal.

  Being an avid Clay Aiken fan, this particular fundraiser is a cause close to my heart, for had it not been for Clay, I may not have even heard about this cause. I've often stated and proudly proclaimed that Clay Aiken is a personal hero of mine, but I often leave out the fact that the Claynation, collectively, too, is a hero of mine, for when we stand together, firmly, we are certainly a force to be reckoned with. I simply ask you to come together, now, and change the world for a better tomorrow.

  About a month ago, I posted an essay that I had submitted to my English Literature AP class about our heroes. As you can already guess, my hero was none other than Mr. Clayton Aiken, himself. I'm going to, yet again, post that same essay in hopes of you remembering just why we are here. It's not about what he's wearing or how gorgeous he looks (though, I KNOW, those attributes certainly don't hurt!).

  Please donate as much or as little as you can. Any and all money is greatly appreciated.

  ETA: Alright, Claynation!

  I'd really like to prove the power of the Clay fandom to my school. If I could raise $250 by Sunday night, I think that'd make a very powerful statement. All I'd need would be to have 25 people donate $10 each. $10! Personally, I know I could spend way more than $10 on things I don't necessarily need. Why not put your money to a good cause? 25 people! 10 dollars!

  Can I get some help, and have one person start it off? It's for a good cause! :]

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  "Sometimes the world needs a voice. Let it be yours."

  What makes a hero? Is it the ability to transcend all barriers and touch lives so intimately? Or is it the ability to inspire all who know of your presence in the world? How about the ability to, no matter how many hardships you may encounter, rise from the ashes like the phoenix, and learn from every moment refusing to let it keep you down? Maybe it’s in the way your mere presence makes it seem as though the world is slowly but surely becoming a better place. Whatever the case may be, my hero undoubtedly encompasses all of those things and so many more. Malcolm Stevenson Forbes once said, “To measure the man, measure his heart” and no truer words have ever been spoken. If I were to measure a man, my hero is the essence of what a man should measure up to. He is truly an amazing and brilliant man. Mother Theresa has said that the greatest disease from which mankind is suffering from is not aids or cancer, but rather, the feeling of being unwanted. Through his passion for inclusion of those with intellectual disabilities, he has made others passionate about the same thing, primarily through the formation of The Bubel Aiken Foundation, and now, through his recently appointed position as a part of President Bush’s Committee for the Intellectually Disabled. He may no longer be educating children in a classroom, but what he's doing right now, I believe is so much more important: he's educating a society on the importance of simple human rights. It frightens me that our society is still so closed-minded, but it's because of individuals like him, that people with disabilities have a fighting chance in our sometimes cruel world. Through his appointment as the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and U.S. Fund for UNICEF Ambassador particularly committed to supporting UNICEF's education programs, he is changing the lives of children all over the world already having visited Indonesia shortly after the tsunami in March of 2005 and Uganda in May of 2005. Through the gift of his voice and lively personality, he’s able to touch the lives of millions of people bringing them joy and happiness that many have been without for years, often bringing the young at heart out to play. His kindness and affection towards others is nothing short of awe-inspiring and it is in and of itself amazing. It is in his perseverance to stay true to himself and his beliefs that makes me strive to do the same. It is people like him who will make, or rather, who have made a difference in the world. He's everything a man should be: passionate, intelligent, humble, eloquent, sweet, snarky, silly, compassionate, beautiful & dedicated. My hero is none other than Mr. Clayton Aiken. As we in the fandom like to say, “Came for the voice, stayed for the man.”

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  NEi :]

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