By ANTHONY BOTTAN
Detective Fusswinkel, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award, dedicated a great deal of his time developing programs to protect children from drug/alcohol abuse and gang violence. Fusswinkel is also a consultant to ISafe America, a national non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Internet safety. He is a member of the Lynbrook-East Rockaway Rotary Club and also is the co-president of the Naval Academy Parents Club of Long Island. Friends of Bridge President Barbara DeGrace called Fusswinkel a "crime-fighting professional" and lauded him for keeping programs like ISafe at the forefront of the school system so that kids stay safe on the Internet.
"I feel old when you say Lifetime Achievement Award because I feel like I got a lot of time left!" Fusswinkel joked. "The support for those in recovery is so important because I meet so many young people who are looking for help. It's great to know there are places like Friends of Bridge."
Councilman Jim Darcy underscored Fusswinkel's dedication to keeping kids safe, even if it meant working up a good sweat. "This is the only guy I know that goes to classrooms in 90 degree weather and pops on the McGruff outfit!" he joked. "But we have to pay tribute to John and Fred - a great thank you for what you do for our kids in the community."
Mastromarino, who is also the comptroller for the Town of Hempstead, has helped the not-for-profit, out-patient counseling center with its finances, accounting and budgeting for nearly three decades. DeGrace said that Mastromarino's financial advice to Friends of Bridge has been second to none. "Even though he is deeply involved in the community, he still finds the time to provide account services, indispensable wise counsel; and keeps us on top of the stringent regulations of a non profit," she said. "And for that, we are deeply grateful."
Many local officials, like Assemblyman Bob Barra, Valley Stream Mayor Ed Cahill and Darcy gave citations to Mastromarino and Fusswinkel for their work with Friends of Bridge. "Honestly, it warms my heart," Mastromarino said of receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award. "It's neighbors helping neighbors to fight a major problem. Valley Stream is a cohesive community and continues to be that way. We care about each other."
Peter Hawkins, a wheelchair-bound road racer and inspirational speaker, was the keynote speaker at the award ceremony. He retold his story of when he was 17 and left a party with a friend who had been drinking. He fell asleep in the passenger's side of his friend's car, who, while Hawkins slept, decided to drag race down Sunrise Highway. His friend crashed, ejecting Hawkins from the car and paralyzing him from the waist down. Hawkins now speaks all over the state on the perils of drunk driving. "I thought I was indestructible," he said. "But I made a bad choice and life is about making choices."
Valley Stream Justice Robert Bogle said that Fusswinkel and Mastromarino are both contributors to building a safer community and that there is no better feeling than doing work that makes a difference. "Roosevelt once said, 'One of the greatest prizes in life is to work hard at worthwhile work,'" Bogle said.
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