Friends surf for speech therapy

Local surfers will take to the waves this month to raise money for a friend who lost the ability to speak after suffering a massive stroke earlier this year.

At least 35 surfers have signed up so far for a surf-a-thon to benefit longtime Balboa Peninsula resident Alan Halderman.

The surfers will gather pledges for the number of waves they catch to help pay for Halderman’s living expenses.

The event is slated for 9 to 11 a.m. Nov. 21 at Blackie’s Beach near Newport Pier.

In May, Halderman collapsed on a dock after suffering a stroke while vacationing in Catalina.

The stroke damaged the part of Halderman’s brain that governs communication, leaving him with a disorder known as aphasia.

Halderman, 53, was wearing swim trunks when he collapsed and had left his wallet back on his boat, which was anchored just off shore.

Halderman couldn’t tell anyone who he was or what had happened, because he couldn’t talk.

For three days, Halderman was listed as a John Doe at UCLA Medical Center in Torrance before police found his cell phone aboard his boat and used it to call his relatives.

Halderman has never been married and has no children. He lives in a small apartment a few steps from the beach on the Balboa Peninsula with his cat, Buddy.

Today, Halderman is living independently with the help of family and friends, but he can still only speak a few words.

Donations from family and friends have made it possible for Halderman to attend an aphasia therapy program at the University of Michigan, but he still needs money for living expenses.

How To Help

Donations for Alan Halderman can be made at www.giveforward.org/alanhalderman/. To participate in the Nov. 21 surf-a-thon, e-mail Jan Giovino at nbsurferjan@aol.com, or visit Fry’s Market at 15th Street and Balboa Boulevard.