“It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas.”  At least it was on November 18, 2006 when Clay Aiken helped light the UNICEF Snowflake in New York.

It was a cold and windy night, but a crowd of about 250 people gathered to mark the beginning of the holiday season.  Clay was joined by NBA legend Darryl Dawkins for the lighting of the UNICEF snowflake.  Each year, the snowflake decorates the holiday sky in New York.  The UNICEF Snowflake has become an  fixture in New York City during the holiday season. It was handcrafted by German lighting designer Ingo Maurer and is adorned with 16,000 Baccarat crystal prisms. At 23 feet in diameter, over 28 feet in height and weighing 3,300 pounds, the UNICEF Snowflake is the largest outdoor chandelier of its kind.  The UNICEF Snowflake is always illuminated for the entire holiday season.

The UNICEF Snowflake is a special symbol for the world’s most vulnerable children. It is a reminder of UNICEF’s commitment to reach a day when zero children die from preventable causes.

The Brooklyn Youth Chorus entertained that night with holiday carols before Clay Aiken came onto the stage. He was also joined by three young teen aged girls who were the winners of the UNICEF holiday card contest.

Clay gave an impassioned speech about his experiences with UNICEF and joked with the young people on stage.  The crowd was supportive and seemed to enjoy the event.

The videos below show Clay’s speech from that evening.  He was articulate and seemed so at ease.

A little Clay tease

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xorSIrX8a4c

Speech  Part 1

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4COpsnSOdis

Speech  Part 2

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TbjZ5GOx4M