Fieldnotes: Blogging on UNICEF's child survival work in the field

WOW! Thanks so much for updating us again today. I am amazed at how fast money can be raised if everyone puts their minds to it. This is such a worthy cause....I applaud Clay for the initiative and everyone who donated any amount, however big or small. Can we hit $150,000? That would be awesome!

Whooooo Whoooo for the amount raised so far. We thank Clay for getting us started...it is such a worthy cause. I think we may hit 200,000.

This is fantastic. Good for you Clay. Loved your blog about the trip and hope that someday the public gets to see more pictures and video. LET'S GET THIS TO $150K!!!!!!!

WOW! How wonderful.

My prediction...

a total of $175,000.

I think $150,000 is a nice number! Education is really the only viable solution to poverty.

Wow, that is an amazing amount raised in just seven days. Congratulations.

BTW, the button to add this blog to MY Yahoo is not working.

(Hi Susanne, we fixed our Yahoo RSS button. Thanks for the heads up. Please try it again. Chris Phillips, UNICEF USA)

Clay Aiken - he is making a difference as he promised to do.

Yay, Clay, You lead, I'll follow.

oh wow that's great job everyone for donated
I cannot give money .. but I am spreading word on myspace for unicef ...
user name is shelley1958 myspace please anyone go look and donated
thank you lets do this for the children
clay is doing wonderful job

WOW! Over $139,000 in just 6 days! This is wonderful and to celebrate I'm gonna go make another donation! Others have done the same thing as well. I can only imagine how much good can be done with this money. I hope you will follow up to all of us on what these donations were able to purchase and on the great affect the purchases had on the children in Afghanistan. Clay commented on how much is needed in the schools and I'd love to see via pictures and videos how the money helped.

UNICEF, thanks for all you do, and thanks for the opportunity to share via our support of Ambassador Clay Aiken and the work he is doing through UNICEF to make the world a better place for its children. I am just so thrilled to be able to help in this way.

Wow, this is so very exciting!!! I do believe we can make it to at least $150,000 by the time the 10 days are up. Thank you Clay for giving us the challenge, thank you Unicef for supporting this, and thank you Claynation!!!!!

I am so proud to be a card carrying member of Unicef and be a Claymate too!

Hugs,
Lillian

P.S. Guess I have to go donate again.

Clay, you are so deserving to be named as one of the UNICEF ambassadors! You have the most amazing fans and supporters....you asked and you received..even so much more! My heartfelt congratulations to you on this worthy effort!

I would never have taken notice to the needs of these courageous children in Afgnanistan if not for Clay Aiken, for that I thank him and Unicef for helping the children pave the way for future all educated and ready to make Afgnanistan a better place to be.

Come on $200,000! We can do this!

Great news!!! Let's go for $200,000!!

Check to see if your company or place of business matches charitable donations. If they have a matching program, your donation could be doubled.

Thanks Clay, for doing such a great job as a UNICEF ambassador.

Clay has enlightened me on the needs of the children around the world. I'm so excited about exceeding the $100,000 goal. I think $200,000 is a new goal we can achieve.

Thank you for giving us "Claynadians" a place to contribute. I used that and it worked fine.

Come on Claynadians! Let's take that total higher.

(Canadians LOVE Clay Aiken)

I am amazed!!! Reading Clay Aiken's blog and interviews about this trip, I could truly feel the thirst these children have to be in school, something our children take for granted every day. It really moved me and I could see how it must have moved Clay as well. That, alone, inspired me to want to help in any way I can...so thank you UNICEF and thank you Clay Aiken. You're a wonderful representative of HOPE!

Before Clay Aiken, I never thought much about what I could do to help others in the global community. He has inspired me to donate not only money, but time to worthwhile causes. Obviously, I am not the only one--it's great to see the total raised so far!

thank you for the update. I am so happy to see that Clay's appeal is so successful !!!!!

prediction : $200,000 !!!!

I am so happy to see this report on the amazing success of UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken's appeal to raise $100,000 in 10 Days for Afghanistan's children. It is both thrilling and humbling to have played a small part in helping reach Clay's goal.

There is much more work ahead of us. With three days to go, I am using my blog to extend the challenge to double the original goal. It can be done!

Congratulations to Ambassador Aiken, everyone at UNICEF and all who have decided to help make a difference for the children of Afghanistan. There is so much to be done and this campaign is a very successful start, but given the chance to grow, to learn and to thrive, the real victory will be made by the children themselves.

If I had another million years to live on this earth, I STILL wouldn't have enough time to tell you how impressed I am with Clay Aiken! He is an amazing human being. I will happily support him and the things he holds dear for the rest of my life! I am so happy that we could help the children of Afghanistan!

There is no way I could be more proud of him!

JaneP

I could not be more proud of Clay, his fans and Clay's ability to move people to action with his eloquent words and actions. Clay you not only talk the talk, but you walk the walk.

What an amazing response to such a worthy challenge! I definitely think $200,000 is attainable.

Clay Aiken is an inspiration for many of us. He is not all talk, he goes in and researches and interacts so that he can tell us what is really happening. I am so proud of him, and I hope that this particular fundraising effort exceeds the original goal by almost double the amount. To see the children who thirst for knowledge, and the man who is striving to help these children, is awe inspiring. I hope that the videos we have seen so far (GMA) are circulated throughout the media so that many more people can join in the UNICEF effort.
Thank you UNICEF, for making a great choice in your ambassador Clay Aiken.

Congratulations to Unicef, their Ambassadors, and all who are doing their best to raise awareness, and raise the funds, to help children in dire need.
There must be so much 'behind the scenes' work, that Unicef staff is doing to bring the awareness to the public, and it is the least we can do, as Caring Americans, Caring Canadians, and all others, to try to reach the desired goal.
It is fantastic to see we've done it, and are still going strong, to another goal, by the end of the 10 day appeal.
I just hope that more donors become 'year round' donors, if they are able to.
The children need our help year round.
Another Unisef card carrying member.
Claymate Martigyrl

Clay - your Challenge has been met and exceeded - you name it and we are there !!!
Congratulations and thank you and UNICEF for the inspiration and enlightenment of the needs of the children around the world.

From a very proud fan

This is so wonderful. Clay, you are certainly using your voice for a deserving cause!
Ten months ago, I had no idea what Unicef did. I've become more educated since then. Thank you.
It wouldn't surprise me if the final total was more than $175,000.

*hugs*

That's FANTASTIC NEWS! Never underestimate the power of a nation (clay nation). I trust Clay & UNICEF to follow up with us on exactly how the funds are being put to good use. I wouldn't be suprised if we hit $200,000 before the end of the challenge. I would also think there must be some donations heading your way via snail mail as well. God bless the children!

This is such fantastic news and all of the good this money will do to help the Afghan children. Know that this amount will be raised over the next three days. Clay and UNICEF have given us the opportunity to help and I for one was proud to respond. Another donation is on its way!

I am so impressed and excited to see what has been accomplished so far. I believe this goes beyond Clay's fanbase. This appeal has touched the general public.

I have a few more ways to spread the word. What's the official deadline?

My prediction, if we are averaging $20,000 a day, is $180,000. But, $200,000 is doable.

I finally got a job two weeks ago after looking for quite a while and I get my first paycheck this Friday.
I'm so excited that I'll finally be able to donate.

What an amazing difference UNICEF is making in the lives of children.

Clay you are truly an inspiration to us all.
Afghanistan was blessed by your trip.

I agree, we can do $200,000
Let's use our voice!!!!

The current amount is amazing! I believe the $200,000 mark can be attained.

I wish the touching videos of Clay and the children of Afghanistan could be seen by a wider audience.

I'm so amazed at the sheer generousity of the fans of Clay Aiken. To raise this much money in just 7 days, most of it being raised in the first 2 days of this wonderful challenge is a miracle.

I hope we will be able to double his challenge and make it to 200,000.

Thank you for allowing Clay to do something he's very passionate about. And for letting us be made aware of the desparate need.

"Hope sees the invisible
feels the intangible
and achieves the impossible.."

Clay you help to open our eyes to the Afghanistan childrens needs, and with your guidance we have achieved and surpassed the goal you had set for this fundraiser.. Congratulations on your sucess, and to your fans for their support and generosity.. I think we can double the total from $100,000.00 to $200,000.00. You have give Hope to the children, for a better life...God Bless you Clay for caring so much.

If Clay asked me to move the moon & the mountains, I'd do it. He and his causes means SO MUCH to me.

Clay...I am so proud of all the work you do with UNICEF and am proud to be a supporter! It's for the children! I would love to see the figure reach 200,000!

To Clay Aiken, thank you for opening people's hearts to give and care. And UNICEF, thank you, too for giving Mr. Aiken the opportunity to utilize his voice to bring people together to walk hand in hand with him and let the children and people of Afghanistan feel that there are people who care about them. Clay and his fans, UNICEF and people who simply care have opened a ray of hope for these children. Children are to be loved , not to be deserted. $200,000 here we come! Good luck to all!