18 MARCH 10, 2022 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Life’s WORC to honor Geraldo Rivera, founder at anniversary gala
BY QNS STAFF
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
Life’s WORC, a Garden City-based
nonprofi t that provides services
for people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities including
autism spectrum disorder, will host a
party to celebrate the golden anniversary
of its founding.
The Life’s WORC 50th Anniversary
Gala scheduled for April 1 at
The Garden City Hotel will honor
its founder Victoria Schneps-Yunis,
who’s also founding president of Long
Island Press parent company Schneps
Media.
It will also honor Geraldo Rivera,
the TV reporter whose series exposing
the squalid conditions at the
Willowbrook State School, then the
largest institution in the nation serving
children with developmental
disabilities, forced its closure in the
1970s. Schneps, whose daughter was a
Willowbrook resident, founded Life’s
WORC in response to the scandal and
the group went on to open a series of
group homes across Long Island and
New York City.
The gala will feature a menu created
by The Garden City Hotel’s legendary
chef David Burke, music performed
by four-piece Beatles cover band The
Victoria Schneps and Geraldo Rivera will be honored at the Life’s WORC 50th Anniversary Gala.
Blast, and a program presenting the
history of Life’s WORC. Serving as
master of ceremonies will be Life’s
WORC Interim CEO Matt Zebatto.
In attendance will be long-standing
supporters of the organization, including
its board of directors led by Chair
Lynne Koufakis, Vice Chair Michael
Billia, Secretary John Lee and Treasurer
Ron Aghassi. Elected offi cials,
members of the community serving
individuals with intellectual and developmental
disabilities, and members
of the local business community are
also expected.
The event will be held from 6:30 p.m.
to 10:30 p.m. Friday, April 1, 2022, at
The Garden City Hotel, 45 Seventh St.
in Garden City. Tickets range in price
from $400 each to $3,950 for a table of
10. Friend of Life’s WORC Celebrate 50
Pins are also available for $50. For more
information, visit lifesworc.org or call
516-741-9000, ext. 5110.
Vaccine Hero. Be a
Get Vaccinated!
Heroes are protectors.
Vaccination is the best
way to protect against
COVID-19 and save lives.
For more information on COVID-19 vaccine,
visit nyc.gov/covidvaccine or call 212-COVID19.
/lifesworc.org
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
/covidvaccine
link
