The other honorees are: Amy Hagedorn, The Horace Hagedorn Outstanding Philanthropist Award; Janine Dion, Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer of the Year Award; Robin S. Amato, CFRE, Outstanding Fundraising Executive Award; Bank of America, Outstanding Corporation Award; and The Heritage Group/Arnone, Lowth, Fanning, Wilson & Leibowitz, Inc., the esteemed Gilbert Tilles Award.
Tammy Severino, chair of Philanthropy Day 2006 and Director of St. Charles Hospital Foundation, said, Our theme this year, ÔFrom the Heart,- perfectly describes this year-s honorees. Their genuine dedication and generosity has enhanced the quality of all of our lives. This kind of authentic and heart-felt dedication inspires all fundraisers to do better, and we are proud to honor them.
Alderman is a 16 year old junior at East Meadow High School whose parents describe him as a tried and true volunteer, raised to help others and always giving of his time. In addition to his studies and a passion for lacrosse, Alderman, known as Mookie to his friends, has made being a fundraiser a large part of his teenage life.
He is a volunteer for the Lupus Alliance of LI/Queens, helping out in the office and at the annual walk-a-thon. He has gotten donations from celebrities, sports personalities, clergy, congressional representatives, businesses, friends, teachers, neighbors and strangers who are impressed by his devotion. At the annual walk-a-thon, Alderman helps set up and serve breakfast, prepares lunch and helps with the clean up.
Alderman is a dedicated player and a big fan of lacrosse. He played on the junior varsity lacrosse team of his high school in his freshman and sophomore year, and hopes to play on the varsity team in the upcoming season of his junior year. He also plays indoor lacrosse at Nassau Community College in the winter and outdoor in Long Beach in the summer.
He is a volunteer ball-boy for the Long Island Lizards professional lacrosse team and helps at the team-s clinics, practices and at games. This past summer, Alderman helped coach at the team-s Lacrosse Camp. Both the Lizards and their general manager have made significant donations to Lupus. Alderman has supported Lizard charity fundraisers for Cancer, Plainedge PTA and the Autism Foundation by donating autographed items from his collection to help them raise money at their fundraising events.
Alderman is also a junior instructor, or Sempi at a local karate school, where he volunteers on the schools demo Team, teaches younger students and volunteers at the school-s special events and tournaments.
Because of his dedication, Alderman has received numerous accolades. He was named the East Meadow Person of the Year for 2004, an honor never before presented to a minor. He was also a Newsday Everyday Hero, a Barnstable Broadcasting Good Samaritan Award winner, and has received a Citation from the Town of Hempstead, the Kiwanis Club Terrific Kid award, Certificates of Recognition from Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, Supervisor Kate Murray and Councilman Gary Hudes. Recently, Alderman was recognized by President Bush with the Gold Award for Extreme Volunteerism.
Alderman has recently been named as the local United Synagogue Youth chapter-s fundraising chairperson. He hopes to win a scholarship to Stony Brook University or Farmingdale University so that he can pursue a career in sports merchandising and play lacrosse on a college team.
For the 19th year in a row, Philanthropy Day will attract more than 700 development professionals, board members, business leaders, community activists and individuals committed to supporting the efforts of not-for-profit organizations. Philanthropy Day 2006, held at the Long Island Marriott in Uniondale on Friday, Nov. 17, offers a full range of educational sessions for the novice as well as for the seasoned professional. A new Masters Track has been added this year for fundraisers with eight plus years of experience in the field. In addition, there are roundtable workshops, a mentoring program and panel discussions on more than 20 topics. For more information, visit www.philanthropyday.org. For information on exhibiting, corporate event sponsorship and conference enrollment, call Joan Connor at 631-249-5008 or email info@afpli.org.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals represents more than 27,000 members in 180 chapters throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and China. AFP works to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education and certification programs.
