about amnd

“If you ever need proof that nothing is impossible….”

 
mission

A Midwinter Night’s Dream is a student run non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS. Begun after the diagnosis of a beloved teacher of the Northport-East Northport School District in 2004, students, graduates, fellow teachers and community members banded together to aid all who have been affected by ALS. An annual gala dinner is the focal point of A Midwinter Night’s Dream’s fundraising efforts. The proceeds from this event are donated to different patients, ALS organizations, and science research centers.

A Midwinter Night’s Dream runs five unique programs for high school students: Fundraising Program, Research, Patient Services, Philanthropy Center and AMND Chapter program. Each program provides numerous opportunities for students to get involved with community service. Our experience in fundraising demonstrates that students can make a difference in the world. Besides raising money and awareness for ALS, educating our youth about philanthropy has become one of our major goals.

In our seven year history, we have raised $2,000,000 for ALS Research and families afflicted with the disease. Our event is made possible through the support of over 2,000 corporate and individual sponsors, as well as countless students, faculty and friends of Northport High School.

history

A Midwinter Night’s Dream was founded in 2004 after Biology teacher, David Deutsch, was diagnosed with ALS (more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Inspired by his inevitable misfortune, sixteen Northport High School students banded together to start a following. Their goal was to raise funds and awareness for the awful disease that had stricken their beloved teacher; a healthy, thirty-five year old father of two.

In all of their inspired endeavors, the Northport students always keep their humble beginnings in mind. The students expected to raise a couple thousand dollars at their first grass-roots fundraiser, a basketball tournament called “Hoops for ALS.” In the weeks leading up to the tournament, the walls of Northport High School were papered with thousands of paper basketballs stamped with words of love and inspiration. No one was surprised to see the students surpass the first of many goals and raise over $25,000 on one sunny afternoon in June 2004. The students donated the money to the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins University and were quickly bestowed the honor of “Partners in Collaboration” by the Packard Center.

Ushered by community member and philanthropist Fritz Garrecht, the students attended their first, big ALS gala, MDA’s “Wings Over Wallstreet” the following fall. Awe-struck by the event, the students found their next goal and began planning their first “A Midwinter Night’s Dream” gala to take place at Oheka Castle in January 2005. The first event included a silent auction, raffle room, a buffet dinner donated entirely by local restaurants and had over 350 guests in attendance. New York Yankee David Cone was in attendance as the students surpassed yet another goal and raised $85,000.

The following June, “Hoops for ALS II” was held, not as a fundraiser, but as a thank you for the support the community had shown. That summer, the students traveled to Washington DC to participate in ALS Advocacy day on Capitol Hill. They met with Senator Hillary Clinton and other legislative representatives to help endorse a National ALS Registry.

Again in January, the students held the second annual A Midwinter Night’s Dream which raised $137,000 after actor Billy Baldwin wooed the crowd by shaving a middle school student’s head for the cause. This year, the students dreamed a little bigger and held a Science Research Symposium at their event. What transpired were two science internships for Northport students to take a hand in ALS research: one at the Packard Center and another at UCSB. AMND continued their quest to fund research centers on the cutting edge who were inspired by collaboration. They found another partner in a Manhattan based non-profit called Project A.L.S, who would later help boost the burgeoning AMND Science Research Program.

2007 marked a special year in AMND’s history as they became an official 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. In addition, the students placed 8th out of 7,000 projects entered into the American Express Members Project, a contest designed to reward a non-profit with a worthy mission and a strong following. The third event was held in January 2007 and raised an incredible $208,000. The event began to peak celebrities’ interests as actor Billy Baldwin was now joined by former NY Yankee Joe Pepitone, former NY Giant Howard Cross and pop-singer Mario Vasquez. With the fall of 2008 came the official start of AMND’s Patient Services Program, where students spent their afternoons and weekends visiting patients and helping families with everyday tasks. January 2008 marked the fourth event. AMND hosted another impressive evening, raising $250,000 and paying tribute to Mr. Pendergast, Mr. Deutsch and all of the patients AMND had come into contact with.

In January of 2009, AMND broke the million dollar mark with their fifth event, raising over $345,000 in one night. This event showcased AMND’s remarkable past while also setting sights even higher for the future. The Science Research Program had now expanded to 6 top ALS research centers across the country. The most impressive addition to the program, however, was the opening of AMND’s very own Cryopreservation Laboratory at Stony Brook University Medical Center in the summer of 2009. Notably, the students were featured in the NY Times in November of 2009, just months before the sixth annual event, which raised $421,000 and was attended by NY Yankee Nick Swisher, actor Richard Kind and comedian Caroline Rhea. Also prior to this event, AMND was entered into the Chase Community Giving competition, a Facebook powered philanthropy contest which promised 1 million dollars to its winner. AMND worked tirelessly to secure votes from their friends and supporters and finished as a $25,000 finalist.

AMND was honored to help ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street in February 2010 and to be featured in People Magazine in April of the same year. With the $25,000 grant from Chase, AMND was able to set another dream into motion: the establishment of a Philanthropy Center. AMND found a home for its executive office and Philanthropy Center in downtown Northport and began to offer classes about Philanthropy to students ages 5-13 in the summer of 2010. Classes and events have continued throughout the year and the Philanthropy Center now hopes to become a networking resource for all non-profits in the area.

In January of 2011, they did it again. The seventh annual event took place and the students reached another incredible milestone – the two million dollar mark. The event was star-studded, patient-centered, inspirational and seamless.

As AMND expands at home, it is also spreading its wings throughout the country. With active alumni graduating every year, AMND Chapters have been founded at 18 universities throughout the country. In the past year, the Chapters have raised about $10,000 for AMND’s programs and will certainly grow in the coming years.

The journey continues…