Clay Aiken, National Inclusion Project & The Pepsi Refresh Challenge

One of the best things about being a fan of Clay Aiken is that I am constantly learning about new organizations that are out there doing great work. During the month of October, we are working hard to win a $50,000 grant for the National Inclusion Project from Pepsi in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge.

Helping us along are some amazing organizations, all new to me, and all working toward a single goal - making the lives children - and cats - better:

Cal Ripkin, Sr. Foundation, founded by Cal Ripken, Jr. and Bill Ripkin to honor their dad, Cal Sr. Per the Pepsi Refresh site, "The Cal Ripkin, Sr. Foundation helps build character and teach critical life lessons to underserved young people living in America's most distressed communities through baseball and softball themed programs". You can learn more about this great organization here Cal Ripkin, Sr. Foundation Website

Rett Syndrome Clinics, Oakland Children's Hospital and Cardinal Glennon are working to give girls with Rett syndrome a voice. Rett Syndrome is a neurological disorder affecting mostly girls. Children with Rett Syndrome often exhibit autistic-like behaviors, such as repetitive hand movements, prolonged toe walking, body rocking and sleep problems. There is currently no cure for Rett Syndrome. You can find out more about Katie's Clinic here and more about Rett Syndrome here

Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary, Inc., is working to answer the needs of rescue and sanctuary of blind cats deemed unadoptable and killed in regular shelter environments. They are now looking to expand their rescue to provide sanctuary to FEL/FIV+ cats. You can learn more about the Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary here

Children's Rare Disease Network is an advocacy organization that provides resources for families affected by rare diseases. They strive to build collaborative programs, including advocacy, information and education, that will impact the entire community of over 100 million individuals impacted by rare diseases. You can learn more about Children's Rare Disease Network here

Brendan B. McGinnis Congenital CMV Foundation was founded by Brendan's mom in order to raise awareness about the leading cause of of childhood disabilities, cytomegalovirus or congenital CMV. Did you know that every hour a child is disabled by CMV? Did you know that CMV can cause death, seizures, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, deafness and blindness? Want to learn more? You can learn more about the Brendan B. McGinnis Congenital CMV Foundation here

The Center for Courageous Kids is a world class medical camp that provides year round, cost free camping experiences for seriously ill and disabled children and their families. Find out more about The Center for Courageous Kids here

1p36 Deletion Support & Awareness. 1p36 Deletion Syndrome is a newly discovered genetic syndrome that affects 1 in 5,000-10,000 births. Unfortunately, many medical professionals have never heard of this Syndrome and can go undiagnosed for several years. Their mission is to assist individuals affected by chromosome 1p36 abnormalities and also provide both support and education to their families and increasing the awareness of chromosome 1p36 abnormalities in the public and the medical community. You can learn more about 1p36 Deletion Support & Awareness here

ARC of Madison County is an advocacy group and a resource for people with various disabilities. Per their Pepsi Refresh Page, "The Madison County Community has come together to help build a Handicap Accessible Playground. This playground would be built at Lake Reba Park and would be an inclusive place "Where All Kids Can Play Together."" To learn more about The Arc please visit here

The National Inclusion Project serves to bridge the gap that exists between young people with disabilities and the world around them. To learn more about National Inclusion Project please visit here and I highly recommend you watch this too