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Local motorcycle club giving a hand to child in need
Elks Lodge 784 will hold benefit on Friday for four-year-old Alise
Strawhand
BY JACQUELINE DURETT Correspondent
SOUTH AMBOY — The local Elks Lodge Motorcycle Committee has committed itself to helping its
“Little Lisie.”
The Elks Lodge 784 will hold a benefit on May 3 for Alise Strawhand, a Sayreville child who fell into
a goldfish pond in 2009 and nearly died — at the age of 1. Alise was unconscious when her mother
found her, and a neighbor gave her CPR. She was given a less than 1 percent chance of survival.
Though Alise beat those odds, she continues to have complications from the accident, according to
her father, Frederick. Her family continues to go to extraordinary efforts to assist their daughter,
such as taking her to various specialists all over the country for different therapies.
They, with the help of volunteers from the Woodbridge
Home Depot, even built an oxygen chamber at their
home for the little girl’s needed daily treatments —
treatments that had brought Alise to tears not only
during the process, but during the 90-minute round trip
ride they required.
Now, Frederick said he can wait until she’s tired, and
have her do the treatment while she sleeps.
“Her personality hasn’t changed,” Frederick said, adding
2013-05-02 / Front Page

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that although she is not verbal, “She knows all her
songs. She’s got her head together; she just can’t get her body to work the right way.”
Frederick’s connection to the Elks happened when he met Greg Camerato of Camerato
Landscaping, who did some work for the family. Upon hearing of the family’s situation, Camerato
and his fellow Elks vowed to help.
“It’s something the motorcycle club has committed to,” said Mary Taylor, spokeswoman for the
Elks. “They’ve adopted her.”
Taylor said money raised will go toward the family’s medical bills, which Frederick said have topped
the $1 million mark.
The Elks held a benefit for Alise last year, but this year’s event will be bigger, he said. Not only will
there be food and drink, there will also be a DJ and a raffle.
Frederick said businesses were generous with raffle item donations, which include a fishing trip in
Belmar. In all, he said, about 60 items will be raffled off to participants.
Frederick said he is grateful for everyone in the community who has been helping his family for the
past four years.
Friday’s benefit starts at 7 p.m. and will be held at the lodge, 601 Washington Ave., South Amboy.
Tickets cost $20.
“It’s going to be a fun time,” Taylor said.
Frederick said his dream is to reach out to Jon Bon Jovi to do an awareness campaign about the
dangers of drowning, since he said many don’t know that if one survives it, there can still be
significant brain damage.
Anyone who is interested in donating to the Strawhands to defray medical expenses can send a
check to Frederick Strawhand, for the care of Alise Strawhand, 17 Fourth St., Sayreville NJ 08872.
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