By:Nick Buglione
For the past five years, since he was in the fourth grade, the diminutive Alderman has dedicated his life to the fight against lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease of the immune system that is sometimes fatal.
As Alderman has grown into the consummate volunteer, his work has drawn the attention and praise of elected officials, community organizations and the media. For his efforts, Alderman has been selected the East Meadow Herald-s 2004 Person of the Year.
Until they find a cure, I won-t be pleased, said Alderman, who lives in the Barnum Woods section of East Meadow. I wish there was a cure for lupus.
When that cure is found, Alderman will be able to say he played a small part in the struggle. His efforts date back to when his mother, Loraine, learned that a friend had been diagnosed with lupus.
The disease affects the immune system, leaving it unable to distinguish cells and tissue from foreign bodies such as bacteria and viruses. Lupus sometimes causes the immune system to attack different parts of the body, causing pain, inflammation and injury. There are many different forms of the disease, and it is very difficult to diagnose. Although people die of lupus every year, the disease is generally treatable.
Every year the Long Island/Queens Affiliate of the Lupus Alliance of America, based in Bellmore, holds a five-kilometer walk in Eisenhower Park to raise money for research and support services. Knowing someone who had the illness prompted Alderman and his mother to sign up for the walk five years ago. We started walking in her honor, Loraine said, noting that the first year they took part, Andrew raised a modest sum of $75 from donors. He added another $100 the following year.
Alderman became more active in the organization around the time he turned 12. With his bar mitzvah approaching, he volunteered at the Lupus Alliance office as a community service project folding T-shirts, taking inventory, filing and doing other tasks. He also kicked his fund-raising efforts for the walk into high gear, working hard to secure more and more donors.
It-s very time-consuming, Alderman said of courting sponsors. It-s a lot of work, and just trying to get people to sponsor you is hard.
Despite the fact that some 2 million Americans suffer from lupus, the disease doesn-t have the name recognition of breast cancer, multiple sclerosis or AIDS, making fund-raising that much harder. Lupus is the lowest on the totem pole, Alderman said. It-s not a well-known disease. You don-t see commercials for lupus.
Despite those difficulties, Alderman has excelled at getting people to open their wallets, and he claims there-s nobody better to ask for cash than elected officials in an election year. Instead of politicians [asking us] for donations, we reverse it on them, Loraine said.
In the past three walks, which take place every October, Alderman has raised around $4,000. The East Meadow High School freshman even donated some of the gifts he received at his 2003 bar mitzvah to the organization. He-s raised more money than teams at schools, his mother said.
Alderman also plays an active part in coordinating the walk. He arrives every year at 7 a.m. to help set up and work at the registration tables before embarking on the walk. After it-s over, he helps serve food to the participants.
And Alderman can still be seen helping out at the Lupus Alliance office, which needs all the volunteers it can get owing to its small staff. No one does more than he does in terms of the money he raises and the time he donates, said JoAnn Quinn, executive director of the Long Island/Queens Affiliate of the Lupus Alliance of America. He-s become one of the most important people in the organization.
He was very responsible when he was 12, and we-ve watched him develop into a highly responsible, intelligent young man, Quinn continued. We would love to have more Andrews. I don-t know if there are any more.
The Lupus Alliance, East Meadow Kiwanis, the East Meadow Jewish Center and the Town of Hempstead have all honored Alderman for his efforts.
A junior black belt in karate, he enjoys lacrosse and is a volunteer ball boy for Long Island-s professional lacrosse team, the Lizards. He-s also on the East Meadow High School cross-country team.
And he is the Herald-s very deserving 2004 Person of the Year.
