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"Finding Our Voice and Setting Our Song Free"  

School in a Box – The Georgia Claymates took up money at one of our luncheons to donate to Unicef for the "School In A Box" campaign for the children impacted by the tsunami in Indonesia.

Project Brett - The Junior Juliette Girl Scouts started a service project called "Project Brett".  The Georgia Claymates were glad to help them out by donating toiletries for our women in uniform serving in Iraq.

Toys for Tots - During the Christmas season of 2004, Clay was the spokesperson for the Toys for Tots campaign and the Georgia Claymates participated heavily by donating toys at the Joyful Noise Tour concerts.

The Murphy Family - The Murphy Family is a family that the Georgia Claymates adopted and we have truly been blessed by them. They, like Clay, have shown us what love can do. John and Jeanette Murphy, the parents of four children, adopted 17 developmentally disabled children.

http://www.murphyhouseproject.com/family.htm

Jeanette Murphy sent me some thoughts that were written by her biological son, Shawn Murphy about his brother Jonathan. Jonathan was 9 years old when he passed away.

Jonathan Murphy

By Shawn Murphy (Jonathan’s 20 year old brother)

I remember the day you dressed up
with tiger paws, sunglasses, guitar in hand.
Barged into sun drenched living room
And played out a rock concert
Bouncing around your silly mind.
The day you told me all about Pooh,
His friends Tigger and Eeyore
As you ran through 100 acre woods
That lined the walls in the hall
To your room.
One year past and you still seem to stand
In shadowy corners of pain streaked memories,
That flow in storybook lands in my head.
You were Piglet, the sullen inquisitive
Pot-bellied friend of Pooh.
But I still think the only reason we called you that
Was because of your tiny feet and weeble wobble walk.
Smiles cascaded filled rooms with laughter
Even on days you were too sick to move.
Your last year I spent many miles away
Sitting at desks, listening to professors vomit
A stream of endless garble.
And I doubt that Einstein could have taught me
Anything close to the lessons and readings
Of Pooh, and Eeyore that you gave me.
Toy store remembrances in Walt Disney dreams.
I know you would have loved Pocohontas
And sing the songs in your own stumbling language.
A year gone by and I am Eeyore
Walking with head down in despondent stagnant air.
And sometimes I wonder if Eeyore would have
Ever looked up to the sky,
If not for Piglets happy go lucky understanding.
The world is not kind
To children who are not "normal".
You couldn’t read (at least in our limited terms)
Math problems were nothing more than
Scribbled symbols to color with crayons.
And books were to show big brother the pictures.
To tell your own stories.
But to me you surpassed Keats, you defeated Frost,
You rolled over Pound.
In your own poetic form you brought light
Into shadowed filled rooms.
And even now the corners of my eyes
Catch glimpses of Pooh in rays of light.
Piglet standing by in awesome brilliance.
Smiling in dreams of what heaven might be.
I know you finally found your way
Through the Hundred Acre Wood,
Back to Pooh Corner.
But somewhere between the huge pines, sleeping
Oaks, and rambling brooks,
I got lost.
And I am still looking.
Still hoping to find you.
In your funny sunglasses, guitar in hand.
Somewhere in this tattered paperbag heart
Your laughter still echoes.
But gets much quieter every day.
And now I stand on a carpet of red and orange leaves
Try not to forget.
About Piglet and his days in the Hundred Acre Wood.

The Murphy Family – On another occasion the Georgia Claymates donated home supplies for the Murphy Family.

Project Brett - The Georgia Claymates were glad to help out the Junior Juliette Girl Scouts again by donating books and magazines for our troops serving in the middle east.

Auction in Valdosta, Georgia – The Georgia Claymates hosted a pre-concert party in Valdosta, Georgia when Clay was on tour. In conjunction with the pre-party we held an auction to benefit Clay’s organization for the inclusion of the handicapped, the Bubel Aiken Foundation.

Trick or Treat for Unicef – We participated in this event through Unicef.

Raffle in Atlanta, Georgia – The Georgia Claymates hosted a pre-concert party in Atlanta, Georgia when Clay was on tour at Christmas. Due to the expenses of the Christmas season, we voted to hold a raffle instead of an auction. Raffle donations went to the BAF and the National Wrapping for Inclusion program.

Wrapping for Inclusion – We volunteered at various book stores around Atlanta to wrap Christmas gifts for a donation to the BAF.

ClayDoodles - The Georgia Claymates organized a teen group for our club. The ClayDoodles will visit children in hospitals, carrying them gifts from Clay that have been donated for this project from people all around the United States. The ClayDoodles will also be hosting other events that will raise money for the BAF and/or other organizations.

YMCA Gwinnett – A YMCA representative came to our meeting to talk to us about the needs of the YMCA and how the Georgia Claymates could help them. We took up a donation at the meeting and was able to sponsor a child for two weeks of camp. This is an on-going project and a fundraiser is being developed for them. We were thrilled to hear that the YMCA Gwinnett is fully inclusive. Yay!!!!

Libby had a lot of fun when she volunteered with the Upstate South Carolina Clay fans to work at Camp Impact at Middle Tyger River YMCA in Spartanburg, SC 

The Georgia Claymates have started a new group within our Georgia Clay Aiken Fan Club for our younger fans (Teens and Tweens)  to show our love and appreciation for Clay and to do just what he has asked us to do and that is, to "Use Our Voice". 

The ClayDoodles, as they are known, is comprised of Clay fans who are under the age of 20, active members of the Georgia Claymates, reside in Georgia, and are interested in learning about and participating in community service and sharing Clay Aiken with others. Our group has many projects that they are working on, such as a bowl-a-thon where contributions will be taken for the number of pins they knock down.  They are also making plans to host a car wash, donuts sales, and a sock hop. 

All donations will be sent to the BAF - http://www.thebubelaikenfoundation.org/ and The Adaptive Learning Center - http://www.adaptivelearningcenter.org/.  The colorful and animated ClayDoodles, will be visiting children in hospitals, entertaining them, reading to them, playing games with them and passing out gifts from Clay Aiken (donated by Clay fans from all over the U.S.).  They will also pass out Clays's CDs, book, and info on the BAF and his humanitarian efforts to the parents. 

  Here are the "Clay Doodles" before their transformation: 
Lindsey, Kimmie, Ashley and Jessica  

A few of the many events they plan to do:

Sock Hop                                                         Craft Sales
Car Wash                                       Sleepover/Clack Night
Bowling Night           Karaoke Night/American Idol Skits
Autism Awareness                                          Walkathons

We have had an overwhelming response of donations toward the performance at the children's hospitals.

The Georgia  Claymates would like to thank each and everyone who donated to this cause.  
We really appreciate it.