Dream weavers for ailing children

Malvernite sits on the board for Adopt a Dream at Hofstra University

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Lauren Asselta of Malverne had just started her freshman year at Hofstra University when she noticed a display table for the Adopt A Dream program at a university event. “The group had a scrapbook of some of their dreamers on their display table, and it made me really want to be part of it,” she said.

The group’s “dreamers,” she soon discovered, were all children suffering from a severe disability or illness, and the mission of the group was to make the dreams of as many children as it could come true.

Asselta, who is now a junior at the university’s, sits on Adopt A Dream’s board, is one of over 30 active members in the group, which fundraises year-round in order to buy the items needed to fulfill each dreamer’s wish. Their major fundraisers – a Zumba marathon in the fall and an auction in the spring – cover some of the expenses.

Last November, the group sponsored the dream of an 11-year old boy named A.J., who was battling a brain tumor. They discovered him through the Sunrise Day Camp, a summer-long day camp that caters to children with cancer, and their siblings. “We were told he liked adventure and rock climbing, so we made shirts that said ‘Super A.J.’ and gave everything a superhero theme. We created a big scavenger hunt for him on the Hofstra campus, putting him on a mission to find hidden items as if he were a superhero,” said Asselta. A.J.’s cancer is currently in remission, she added.

Last year, the group found another candidate for their efforts when they met Janelly, an 11-year old girl from Bethpage suffering from spina bifida. “Her dream was to have the ultimate room makeover,” said Adopt a Dream’s president Pauleen Samantha Jean-Louis . So while some members of Adopt a Dream preoccupied Jannelly with a day out at the Bronx Zoo, having lunch, and going bowling, 15 other members descended on Jannelly’s home one day last May, ready to go to work. “Basically we went in and gave her room a fresh coat of paint — she wanted purple — we got her a television, stuffed animals; new bedding, and stuff to organize her desk to do her homework,” said Jean-Louis.

The majority of the group’s dreamer candidates come from the Sunrise Day Camp.

If you are interested in donating to Adopt a Dream, you can mail your check to: Adopt a Dream, 260D Student Center, 200 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549 or call Jean-Louis at 1-631-880-2779.