Hempstead Town Supervisor Rich Guardino and members of the town board present the official Town of Hempstead Make a Difference Award Medal to William Rottkamp of Franklin Square, who was recently honored at the 1999 Town of Hempstead Make a Difference Awards Ceremony which was held in the Nathan L.H. Bennett Pavilion at Hempstead Town Hall. Since his retirement as a beer and soda distributor, Bill has spent more time in volunteer service than he spent on his job while working. As a volunteer at the Helen Keller Center for the Blind, he provides transportation for some of the attendees, and plays recreational games with the members of the center. He volunteers at the Long Island Riding for the Handicapped Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program, helping to walk handicapped children on horses. Every year he runs two blood drives for Long Island Blood Services, and has donated over 100 pints himself. Bill is active in his parish, St. Catherine of Sienna, where he has painted and refinished the door, built a bookstand for church bulletins, as well as being a Eucharist Minister. Many are concerned about the plight of Police Officer Steven McDonald who was shot and paralyzed a few years ago, but Bill took the initiative to help raise $13,000 to send Officer McDonald and his family on a vacation to France. This past July, Bill developed a problem with the arteries around his eyes, and began to lose some vision, but he still continues in his volunteer service.