Family means the world to Maxton Shafran. So when his grandfather was diagnosed with ALS in 2023, it really hurt. His grandfather fought the best battle he could but passed away in August 2024. Maxton knew immediately that his Independent Service Project as part of his role as a Young Ambassador for the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation simply had to be in honor of his grandfather and he had to make an effort, however small, in helping to rid the world of this disease.
Maxton, a tenth-grade student at East Meadow High School, decided to reach out to I AM ALS – an organization dedicated to helping families of those afflicted with ALS. He sought to organize a fundraiser to help them financially and also set out to organize a walk in memory of his grandfather and to shed light on the need to combat ALS. Max’s effort was grassroots in nature – he wanted as many people to contribute as possible, however small the donation did not matter. With that in mind, he reached out to his hockey team – the PAL Jr. Islanders – his classmates, his family and his community. His efforts were duly rewarded as over $3,000 was raised and donated to I AM ALS in memory of his grandfather.
Just a few days before his 15th birthday, Max gladly welcomed family and friends to Eisenhower Park in East Meadow and, together, they walked before his hockey game later that afternoon. Max, a lifelong and diehard NY Islanders fan, even put on his grandfather’s beloved NY Rangers jersey in his honor. As much as he loves his family, Max loves his Islanders just behind – so wearing that jersey was a tough act to accept but, for his grandfather, Max would do anything! The love for the Islanders and Rangers causes many family “discussions” – but on this day, everyone was on the same team!
Following the walk, Max invited those gathered to watch his team play a game. He was thrilled to score a goal, but even more important to him, he was proud that his team won the game. It was a great ending to an important day in his life.
ALS is a dreadful disease. It’s an unfair diagnosis as there are very tough days ahead for those in the fight. But as long as it is here, every effort must be made to find a cure – and to help the families who have to support their loved ones battle. So Maxton was so honored that his involvement with the HLFYA program allowed him an opportunity to make an impact – and while he hopes nobody else has to ever lose a loved one to ALS, he is proud to have found an organization like I AM ALS that he could support and he plans to continue to do so in the future.
