UNICEF released a statement:
Yesterday was the final day of Clay Aiken's ten day appeal for Afghanistan.
Congratulations! We raised $181,783.03 for the kids of Afghanistan during this ten day campaign. That's $80,000+ more than the original goal we set for this campaign!
This total includes all online gifts made online in the U.S. and Canada. We're expecting some checks to come in through the mail and will post a final total next week.
We appreciate your generous support of this appeal. Hundreds of you posted this appeal on your web sites, blogs and boards and forwarded the campaign to your friends.
My colleagues and I will continue to keep you posted on UNICEF's work in Afghanistan and around the world. We'll show you how your gifts are being put to work in the field.
And in an e-mail, I received this:
UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken issued an appeal for the children of Afghanistan at the end of his visit there. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Aiken hoped to raise $100,000 for Afghanistan in 10 days. UNICEF donors responded quickly generously. The campaign ended yesterday and raised $181,783.03 to support UNICEF's work in Afghanistan.
Aiken's appeal for Afghanistan was picked up in hundreds of blogs, bulletin boards and fan sites. "We are thrilled with the results of this campaign. We thank the many people who helped us spread the word about the children of Afghanistan and their urgent needs," said Christine Squires. "Clay Aiken's appeal for Afghanistan shows how UNICEF supporters can work together to help children survive."
Along with this:
Today marks the end of Clay Aiken's 10-day appeal for the children of Afghanistan and the end of National Volunteer Week.
Both events remind us of the tremendous power of people working together.
As you'll read in this issue of eNews, fans of UNICEF and Clay Aiken raised over $180,000 for the children of Afghanistan in ten days.
And over the past year, thousands of volunteers across the country have raised funds and awareness for UNICEF and the world's children through a variety of activities—from bake sales to writing to Congress to speaking at local schools.
To all of these UNICEF supporters, so generous with their time as well as their money, we extend our sincerest thanks. Together we are saving children's lives.
Sincerely,
Christine Squires
Vice President
U.S. Fund for UNICEF
The Power of One
I remember years ago, watching Jerry Lewis give an interview about Muscular Dystrophy. He said that as important as those huge Corporate donations were, you know the ones I'm talking about, the ones for $7 million, $10 million, $13 million, they still don't replace the $5.00 and $10.00 donations that every day people send in. In fact, he said if it weren't for those $5.00 and $10.00 donations, the MDA wouldn't be where it is today.
The Power of One
I'm going to use this blog tonight as an appeal to anyone who reads it. An appeal for a $5.00 or $10.00 donation to the charity of your choice. For Clay fans, I'm not asking that you do it tonight or tomorrow or this month, or even next month, but sometime this year. Pick a charity and donate just a little bit. Those little bits add up to quite a lot.
The Power of One
I've made a promise to myself. I'm going to go through my house and gather all the old dog collars, leashes, feed bowls, brushes, blankets, anything that I've used on my dogs and don't use anymore and I'm going to donate them to either my local Humane Society or no-kill shelter. And when I put them in my car to drop off, I'm going to stop at the grocery store and pick up a bag of dog food.
I give thanks every day for my wonderful Yellow Lab, Gracie. I can't imagine her in a shelter, alone, afraid, not knowing the love of a 'master', not being able to run in the sunlight and frolic in the yard, chasing squirrels and birds, playing with the neighborhood kids, sunning herself on a soft patch of grass on a lazy Sunday afternoon. And I'm going to start donating that $5.00 or $10.00 every few months. I wish it could be more, but I'm not a rich person. And as Jerry Lewis said, it's the small donations that add up to power.The Power of One
That power is in your hands. One dollar at a time.
Related Tags: Clay Aiken, UNICEF, Afghanistan, Humane Shelters, Clay Nation, Muscular Dystrophy
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