Clay Aiken – An Example Of An Accomplished Celebrity

On Sunday, 26 December 2004, the greatest earthquake in 40 years occurred about 150 kilometers off the west coast of northern Sumatra Island in Indonesia. The earthquake generated a disastrous tsunami that caused damage in 18 countries and destruction in 11 countries bordering the Indian Ocean.

The death toll count was almost 300,000 people. Over 5 million people were affected by the tsunamis and well over a million were left homeless. Of the fatalities, almost half were in Indonesia with very high casualties in Sri Lanka, India and Thailand as well.

Waves of up to 10.5 meters in height struck Northern Sumatra, the Nicobar and Andaman Islands, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India. Destructive waves also struck the Maldives, Somalia, Kenya and the islands off the African coast.

Today, a massive international aid effort has rebuilt tens of thousands of homes, schools and roads.

Over 7 billion U.S. Dollars have been provided as humanitarian aid for those affected by the tsunami and as a result many of these regions have recovered sufficiently to provide for their inhabitants. However, there remains much to be done. In Sri Lanka the Tamil Tigers (a guerilla organization) have prevented much of the necessary aid being conveyed to affected people. Throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand fishing villages have been destroyed beyond repair. The occupants of these villages simply have nowhere to go and they still have nothing.

Each year since the tragedy, the communities that have been affected by the Tsunami have had touching memorial services and this year, many of the communities will include candles floating in the ocean as a part of their service.

UNICEF was one of the first organizations to reach the devastated areas.  Clay Aiken traveled to Indonesia’s tsunami-ravaged Aceh province the following March. According to the UNICEF site:

He saw firsthand how UNICEF was successfully addressing the physical and emotional needs of children affected by the disaster, and he brought this message of hope back to Congress. The new celebrity ambassador pointed out that the assistance Congress provides to UNICEF in the annual appropriations enables it to be an effective partner of the United States in responding to emergencies like the South Asian tsunami. He testified that the funding provided by Congress to UNICEF is an investment that yields returns for children in jeopardy around the world.

Clay Aiken is an example of an accomplished celebrity who is lending his talent and heart to bring UNICEF’s work to the attention of the decision-makers in Washington. He is among those who truly serve as ambassadors to the legislative leaders who can help make this a world fit for children.

When I look back and remember, it reminds me of how very lucky I am.  It also makes me very proud to be a fan of Clay Aiken.  After all, this is the kind of thing that I expect when I think about Clay!

Clay Aiken News Network is an unofficial fansite. We are not affiliated in any way with Clay Aiken or his management. This website was made by fans for fans and makes no impression or impersonation of the official site, which can be found under the domain clayaiken.com.

9 thoughts on “Clay Aiken – An Example Of An Accomplished Celebrity

  1. I am always so proud of the ways Clay gets involved and tries to make the world better. He sincerely believes in what he's doing and that means more than anything. 🙂

  2. I love the title of this article. Clay is an amazing fan. What Clay has done with UNICEF and NIP shows what kind of a man he is.

    Honestly, I don't care about his boyfriends or his personal life. That is not my business. I am a fan of who Clay is and what he has done to make life better for so many other people!!

    Thank you for this reminder!!

  3. Clay Aiken is a class act who always "uses his voice" to try to make life better for those less fortunate, and for inclusion for children with developmental disabilities. Thank you for this reminder blog about the devastation caused by the Tsunami in 2004. I remember it well and the trip Clay made over there on behalf of UNICEF. He is a wonderful spokesman for UNICEF.

  4. I loved Clay's voice on AI. His charitable endeavors made me see him as someone who not only sings wonderfully but truly cares about others. He not only talks the talk but also walks the walk. I have learned from his UNICEF trips about the plight of children in so many countries. I am proud to be a fan of his.

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