Clay Aiken - Hello World

We interrupt this Clay Aiken blog for a special message.

Hello world. My name is Piper Adele and I have not yet entered this world - I'm still growing. At this point, no one knows my future - if I will be born as a typically developing child or a child with special needs. My hope is, however I am born, that I am born into a world that is caring and accepting of all people, regardless of their abilities.

This is why I'm reaching out from the womb and asking you to please vote for I Am Norm during the month of September in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge.

I Am Norm's Mission Statement is:

We are united in our commitment to a world where people of various abilities have equal opportunities. We believe that diversity makes us stronger and that discrimination breaks us down. We know that hatred is a learned behavior and that we can all strive to rise above fear and prejudice. We understand firsthand what we gain when everyone is included in our schools and our communities and how much we lose when anyone is left out. If you want to join us, click here

With the help of many sponsors - The National Inclusion Project, Including Samuel, Mitsubishi Electric Foundation and The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation - I Am Norm is an effort led by youth to benefit youth. While the mission may be to impact the youth of this country (and in November I will be included in that mix), their dream would seep into the fabric of our society, helping to break down walls, to promote inclusion and diversity.

Please, if you have just a couple of minutes every day, help I Am Norm into the Top 10 - voting continues every day until the end of September.

(now back to your regularly scheduled programming - whatever and whenever that may be)

Clay Aiken & The Champions

Clay Aiken sure knows how to put on a great gala!! I was fortunate to attend the National Inclusion Project's 2009 Champions Gala on October 17, 2009.


















The National Inclusion Project was co-founded by Clay Aiken and Diane Bubel in 2003. Most impressive to me was how much the foundation has grown in the past six years. Amazing, when you consider that what started out as a project for College credit has grown into a leader in its field.

It's just too much to type out, so here are some of the highlights from Diane Bubel's speech:

• Charity Navigator recently awarded the National Inclusion Project its highest rating, making it the Project the highest rated non-profit in their field
• The Project has received accolades and developed partnerships with the likes of State Farm, Mitsubishi Electric, the University of Minnesota, Johns Hopkins University, the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability, the Million Dollar Round Table and the FPG Child Development Institute
• Camp Shriver was started by the University of Massachusetts and named after Eunice Shriver, a pioneer in disability advocacy, and one of the most respected organizations in their field. The director of Camp Shriver has called the Let's All Play curriculum "genius" and has led the charge to have Camp Shriver revamp their program. They now operate under the Project's Let's All Play Model
  

In all honesty, there are too many high points to even begin to put them all into words - so I tried to consolidate them into a video. Hope you enjoy.

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