Ever the humanitarian, we've received word that Clay Aiken has posted a plea to his fan club on its official site to help the children displaced by the recent Middle East conflict.

Officials say more than a third of those already killed or injured in the fighting between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group have been children, and estimate that as many as 350,000 children forced to flee their homes.

UNICEF is working around the clock to deliver aid to the many children and families isolated by the destruction of roads and bridges, and you can continue to the effort by following the link HERE.

On the musical front, we have learned from a number of Clay's fans that his upcoming CD is in fact finished. We previously reported that it was still being recorded, but A Thousand Different Ways is apparently ready to go and rumored for a September 19 release.

This date has been reported by the likes of FYE, Variety Magazine, MTV and others, and Clay's fan club says the album and tour are still scheduled for late 2006. Special thanks to the fans who brought this to our attention -- and to Clay for his continued efforts to help the children affected by this terrible conflict.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.