Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray and the town board recognized 12 extraordinary community members for contributions to their local neighborhoods at the 12th Annual "Make A Difference" Awards ceremony.

"Tonight we pay homage to men and women who have touched the lives of so many in our township. These individuals have never looked for recognition or rewards for their hard work and dedication," said Murray. "They simply enjoy the satisfaction that comes from helping others. Tonight we honor them and offer our thanks for all that they have done to improve the lives of others and to make our communities better places in which to live."

The honorees have all dedicated themselves to enriching the lives of others. Hundreds of nominations were received for the prestigious award. Those selected, Murray noted, have quietly carried out acts of selfless generosity for many years.

The following honorees were recognized at the November 18th ceremony:

For the past 30 years, Karl Acker of East Meadow has been an extremely involved member of the Hicksville United Methodist Church. He is treasurer of the church's board of trustees; serves on the church council, the finance committee and is an active member of the United Methodist Spiritual Retreat Program. Since his retirement from American Airlines, Karl and his wife have also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild homes and churches. Karl was one of the first to lead a team to Biloxi and Gulfport Mississippi following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. He is also a key adult worker in the church's Youth Workcamp Organization. This program involves about 20 teens and a handful of adults who repair the homes of needy people around the country. They have visited communities in Appalachia, South Carolina, New Jersey and upstate New York, painting and repairing homes for people who are either physically or financially unable to do so.

While most children eagerly await the gifts they receive on their birthday, Melissa Barto of East Rockaway eagerly awaits her birthday so that she can put smiles on the faces of other children. As her 10th birthday approached two years ago Melissa told her parents that she did not want any presents. Instead, Melissa asked that she be able to donate anything she was given to Schneider's Children's Hospital. That year, she was able to donate approximately $500 to the hospital. For her 11th birthday, Melissa decided she would like to give "Build-A-Bears" to the children. Melissa and her family donned surgical masks and gloves and created and dressed 27 bears which cost Melissa almost $650. She then went to the hospital and delivered the bears. This year, Melissa and her family contacted Schneider's Children's Hospital and learned they needed toys for boy patients, Melissa selected and delivered 13 bags of toys to the hospital.

West Hempstead resident Laura Benton began her noteworthy professional career as a nurses aid and ascended to assistant head-nurse. Laura also found the time to babysit two grandchildren and care for a friend's housebound mother. Laura now babysits a different set of grandchildren and tends to an elderly couple who suffer from dementia. She is a charter member of her church and spends countless hours attending to elderly neighbors and frequently transporting them to medical appointments and doctor's visits. She also conducts a regular Bible study session with an interracial senior group and she even prepares a light lunch for the participants to enjoy when the session is over. Laura also mentors a ten-year old girl, sharing quality time and enjoying precious moments in a special and endearing relationship.

On July 10th of 2001 Levittown resident Anneliese Bosco's life changed forever. On that fateful day, Anneliese's son Steven was traveling home when a van speeding in excess of 75 miles an hour ran a red light and plowed into Steven's car. The driver's blood alcohol content registered .21, which is more than twice the legal limit. Although the outcome of the accident was tragic for the Bosco family, who lost their beloved son Steven, Anneliese was inspired to keep her son's memory alive through her work with Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Anneliese spends countless hours of her time speaking to high school and university students throughout the county. These young drivers learn first hand the sobering and deadly truth about drinking and driving. Anneliese is also a key speaker on the Nassau County Probation Department's Victim Impact Panel where first and second time DWI offenders learn of the potential devastation caused by their irresponsible actions.

William Corbbett Sr. is a Floral Park resident who has selflessly given to the community and the many organizations in which he participates. An attorney and local businessman, Bill provides pro bono legal services to needy families and local churches and fights to preserve a suburban quality of life for his neighbors. From volunteering his time as a boy scout leader and chairing a charity which donates clothing to needy children, to being a founding member of the Floral Park Historical Society and serving as President of numerous organizations and past commander of the Floral Park American Legion, Bill's dedication is unyielding. For nearly two decades, Bill's public relations firm, Corbett Associates, based in Floral Park, has provided public relations services for local charitable and civic organizations. He is also extremely involved in many professional organizations.

Franklin Square resident Anthony Ciuffo joined the Franklin Square Little League as an assistant manager in the early 1970s, and he dedicated himself to the growth and development of the Little League program. He was instrumental in forming the Lakeview Little League, and founded the "Challenger Program" on Long Island to provide a Little League experience for children who are physically and mentally challenged. He also founded and directed the Franklin Square Athletic Association Karate Program for boys and girls, which encouraged them to achieve their personal best. He also serves as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Catherine of Sienna Parish and stays every Saturday evening after mass to help clean and close the church. On Sundays, he visits the homebound and the sick in Franklin General Hospital. Tony has been a benefactor and supporter of the Little Sisters of the Poor from Queen of Peace Residence, a home for the aged poor.

Sixteen-year old Jessica Friedl of Lido Beach has been inspired by her older sister who has Downs Syndrome and is hearing impaired. Jessica has become a champion for all those with special needs. Jessica decided at an early age that she wanted to become a special education teacher and to that end she began volunteering at Hempstead Town's Camp ANCHOR Program. Through her work with ANCHOR, Jessica has learned the rewards of volunteering and has joined Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and she is the representative at the Long Beach Medical Center's Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking. In addition, Jessica, who studies sign language, volunteers with Equal Access Television, a news and entertainment show produced in American Sign Language for the hearing impaired.

John Gotimer of Malverne founded a global charity that began when he volunteered to produce a DVD for the Malverne Little League. John included a segment in the video with children from all over the world offering greetings to the children of Malverne. Families who watched John's video were shocked to see that children around the world lacked basic necessities and items like school supplies and sporting equipment. He then called the community to action by creating Project H.O.T.S.H.O.T.S. (Helping Others Through Sports Have Outstanding Tomorrows), a charity dedicated to helping children in need throughout the world. Project H.O.T.S.H.O.T.S has sent school supplies and toys to Iraq, the Dominican Republic, Central America, Ghana and Louisiana and donated sports equipment to Peru, Nigeria, Senegal, and Zambia. Under the direction of John, Project H.O.T.S.H.O.T.S continues to grow and reach more children in need, both locally and abroad.

Della Hudson of Hempstead, the Associate Dean of Student Affairs at Adelphi University, has been a college administrator for over 25 years. She supervises the school's Interfaith Center, Multicultural Affairs and International Student Services. Della is also the advisor to three student organizations, including the group CALIBER which stands for Cause to Achieve Leadership, Intelligence, Brotherhood, Excellence and Respect. Della also works to raise funds for a college scholarship to benefit students in financial need. She earned Adelphi's prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence. She serves on the boards of both the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Black Leaders Commission on Aids. She also works with the group STRONG (Struggling to Rescue Our New Generation), an organization established to address gang violence. Each year, she distributes holiday baskets at Thanksgiving and orchestrates a toy drive for underprivileged children at Christmas.

Anthony Iovino, as a member of the Oceanside Board of Education in 1994, saved Oceanside taxpayers millions of dollars by creating the first Standing Committee on Buildings and Grounds. He also helped put computers in every classroom in Oceanside. Tony was also a critical force in the creation of the Oceanside Education Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors, where he works to maintain the schoolhouse green and the 9-11 memorial. He also provides free legal advice to the Oceanside Public Library and other local organizations and helps with projects ranging from food drives to fundraisers. Tony has also been integral to the Oceanside Kiwanis Club as a 16-year member and a 2-term president. Tony joined the North East Taxpayers Association and was instrumental in forging a working relationship with South Nassau Communities Hospital and the residents of Oceanside to resolve issues related to parking, traffic lights and housing.

Kerri Kiefer of Franklin Square was the neighborhood babysitter and kindly cared for an elderly gentleman who was homebound, providing comfort and friendship during his later years. When her grandfather got cancer, Kerri became his devoted caregiver until his passing. Kerri's life changed forever on September 11, 2001 when she lost her brother, FDNY Fire Fighter Michael Keifer. Through her enormous strength and courage, Kerri is determined to keep his memory alive through the Michael Kiefer Fund. Fundraisers such as the "Michael Kiefer Walk/Run" held in June and the "Back in the Day with Mike" held in October help raise money for the New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundations and the Fire Family Transport Foundation. These two successful events have raised almost $200,000 to help burn victims and provide the necessary transportation for injured firefighters to and from any facility that is needed.

As the head of student activities at Oceanside Middle School for the past five years, Nancy Morris of Merrick has worked to involve her students in various projects to benefit special needs children and the environment. After September 11th, Nancy arranged for a truck to come to the school and bring supplies down to Ground Zero. She also worked with the students to raise money for the firehouse that suffered the biggest losses. Nancy also worked with Schneider's Children Hospital to create a pen pal network and send Oceanside students to perform for children in the hospital. She also helped to make Oceanside M.S. a training site for the Special Olympics, partnering Oceanside's students and teachers with special needs students. She helped create a program at the middle school to connect students with the autistic children in the school, and she worked to educate parents about autism. Nancy also believed it was essential to teach children how they can help improve the earth, teaching children about global warming and the changes they can make to help.

"Our Make A Difference Award recipients have made a profoundly positive impact on the lives of others," concluded Murray. "While we can never hope to adequately repay these men and women for their efforts on behalf of those in need, we are honored to have this opportunity to thank them."