| SINCE OUR BEGINNING IN 2003, AS OF DECEMBER 1 2007, THE CLAY TRAIN CONNECTION HAS RAISED A TOTAL OF $47,032.00FOR CHARITIES LISTED ON THIS SITE. HOW PROUD I AM TO BE A PART OF THIS WONDERFUL GROUP OF DEDICATED CLAY AIKEN FANS! AND IT WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE CARING CLAYNATION WHO HAS SUPPORTED US! Dianna |
| MONEY RAISED $6,216.00 |
| MONEY RAISED $6,216.00 |
| I just wanted to give you an update on our donations that have been sent to or are about to be sent to the various charities We have submitted to date: 1. UNICEF Trick or Treat drive: $ 1025.00 2. The Salvation Army $3,500.00 3. The Bubel/Aiken Foundation $20,000 4. The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence: $3,200.00 5. The Starlight Starbright Foundation: $3200.00 6. UNICEF: $6,216.00 7. Toys For Tots$ 1002.00 Wrapping For Inclusion: Ongoing We have raised a total of $6,000 as of Dec 1, for the year 2007!!! Congratulations, ladies! LOOK WHAT LOVE HAS DONE! Dianna PS A very special thank you to all of you who helped us raise these funds by supporting and buying our Clay Pins. We shall continue to design pins that represent Clay with respect and, at the same time, continue to support the charities Clay holds dear. Also, thank yous go out to Rosa, Toni and Barb for their hard work in making, donating goods and doing the administrative fundraising. Without you, none of this would have been possible. |
| This is Whitney Jensen, her mother, Debra and our Rosa at the Starlight Starbright Fundraiser Dinner/Auction in Newcastle Washington. Whitney made quite an impression on Rosa and Jan who shared the Head Table with them. Below is a little history on Whitney, provided by Debra. Whitney has Joubert Syndrome, juvenile diabetes, multicystic renal dysplasia, congenital ocular motor apraxia, rotary and see-saw nystagmus, low muscle tone, retinal degeneration, photophobia (no night vision or vision in low-light situations), limited depth perception/no peripheral vision and is legally blind, sleep apnea, apraxia of the eyes, hands, and mouth, among others including a developmental disability. She is a medical miracle to us as she seems to defy the prognosis for Joubert Syndrome by being very high functioning! She is the only person in the world with Joubert Syndrome and juvenile diabetes. She just graduated from high school and is now in an 18- 21 transition program in our district. She’s learned to ski downhill, gone rockclimbing, canoeing, roller blading (although only a couple of times), adaptive bicycling, camping. She is an avid equestrian and in fact is riding this weekend in the Washington State Quarter Horse Congress up at Monroe (she does therapeutic riding out at Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Stables but actually rides completely independently). She just got a first place in her class in equitation up at a horse show in British Columbia and this June she received another first place in a horse show in Woodinville in the obstacle course! She’s been in special education since she was about a year old. Her first neurologist told us she wouldn’t walk, might not talk, couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, wouldn’t have much long or short-term memory. The prognosis was very grim but we have just continued to work with her, to see what she could do and build on that. At graduation, her dad, brother, and I gave her a hat that says “Our Hero” which quite simply says it all! She is truly amazing. She refuses to be defined by her disabilities and instead focuses on what she can do. She’s volunteered the past five or six years working with younger kids with developmental disabilities. She worked three years in the Edmonds School District’s summer school program in their K-1 transition classroom and the past three or four summers has worked as a classroom assistant throughout the summer at Wonderland Developmental Center, a birth to three center for kids with developmental disabilities! She is truly gifted in working with those kids…it’s as though they see her as a kindred spirit—she’ s able to reach even the little ones with autism. WEBMASTER'S FOOTNOTE: THERE IS ONE OTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WHITNEY.....SHE LOVES CLAY AIKEN AND PRAYS THAT ONE DAY SHE WILL GET TO MEET HIM IN PERSON! KNOWING ALL THAT SHE HAS ACCOMPLISHED, I DON'T DOUBT FOR ONE MINUTE THAT SHE WILL REACH THIS GOAL AS WELL!!!! MAYBE AT THE SEATTLE JNT!!! |
| Joyce Bottenberg, Development Dir., Starlight Starbright Foundation Washington District. |
Saving Children's Lives, Building Children's Futures visit unicefusa.org
| Whitney's dream came true at the Seattle JNT05 Concert. Thank you, Clay for making Whitney feel so very special. That must have been easy because she is so very special! |
| In September, 2004, three of our trainers participated in the MS 3 Day/50 Miles Challenge Walk which started in Carlsbad, CA and ended in San Diego. There work is recognized here, together with all of the Clay Train Connection Members who supported their challenge either by sponsoring or by giving moral support. They walked as "The Clay Trainers" and the amount raised by these three was in excess of $8,000!!! Thank you Trainers, for your un-ending desire to help make a difference. |
| The Clay Train Connection April 23, 2005 On behalf of U.S. Funds For Unicef and UNICEF, as a whole, we wish to thank and acknowledge your efforts to support the relief efforts for Southern Asia. Your generous donation of $3,000 to UNICEF will help provide essential supplies like clean water and sanitation, emergency health kits and nutritional supplements. About 95 cents of every dollar received will go directly to the relief efforts in Asia. Millions of children and their families have been affected in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, the Maldives, and Malaysia by the earthquake in Indonesia and resulting tsunamis on December 26. UNICEF has estimated that children account for more than one-third of tsunami deaths, but reliable figures on the number of children who survived the floods and are now separated from their families are not available. Given the high death toll, presently over 140,000 – it is likely that there are thousands of separated children across the region. UNICEF is delivering relief assistance to all the countries affected and is supporting governments throughout the region to assess and address the special needs of children. With water supplies contaminated or damaged, safe drinking water is another major concern along with medicine and shelter. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. U.S. Fund for UNICEF _____________________________________ |
| The Clay Train Connection is proud of supporting Clay and his charities. In addition, we seek out miscellaneous charities we know are dear to his heart. One of these charities, The NC Coalition Against Domestic Violence is the recipient of a $1,000 donation in honor of Clay's 26th Birthday |
| Congratulations, Claytrainers for your outstanding endeavor and your open hearts. Your continuous giving made our raffle a huge success! We raised $1,130.00!!!!! Because of your willingness to help Make A Difference, we are that much closer to our goal for our on-going project! Thank you, Toni for your hard work. You never cease to amaze me! Your heart is enormous when it comes to giving to others! God will Bless you for years to come. |
| The Clay Train Connection is very proud of the work we do for various charities endorsed by Clay Aiken. We have followed Clay's Servant Heart and continue to devote many hours to helping make a difference for children with and without disabilities. Keeping in line with our Mission Statement, we have begun many fundraisers during the Christmas Season which benefit children who, otherwise, might not have been able to share in the joys the Season brings. This car will continue to be a part of The Clay Train. Everyday should be Christmas! |
| Jan and Rosa stand with a Nintendo Fun Center which was on exhibit at the Fundraising Dinner/Auction. The Clay Train Connection will be making another trip to Washinton for the official Dedication of our Fun Center to Kadlec Medical Center's Children's Ward |
| Meet Tyler. He has Autism. Please buy a bracelet so that someday he can tell his mommy "I love you" Dianna |
| Voices of Beta Alpha Trainers Connecting For Inclusion has donated $3,569.97 to TBAF |
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| THE CLAY TRAIN CONNECTION IN CONJUCTION WITH OUR BUBEL AIKEN FOUNDATION BETA ALPHA CHAPTER, CONNECTING FOR INCLUSION, RAISED MORE THAN $10,000 FOR THE FOUNDATION IN 2007! THIS INCLUDES WFI DONATIONS. THANK YOU BARB, TONI AND ALL THE MEMBERS FOR YOUR CONTINUED HARD WORK! |