46 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • MAY 27, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
Supporters celebrate 50 years of Life’s WORC
BY JESSICA MILITELLO
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Golfers at the Old Westbury Golf and
Country Club had a chance to tee off with
the likes of Geraldo Rivera and Sean Hannity
at the 33rd Annual Geraldo Rivera Golf
Classic to celebrate Life’s WORC’s 50th anniversary.
“We’ve had an unusual year or more and
we’ve not been able to have any events,” said
Janet Koch, the organization’s CEO, “so for
people to come together like this and support
our cause, we thank you all from the bottom
of our hearts.”
According to the Life’s WORC website,
the organization was founded in the
1970s by Victoria Schneps whose daughter,
Lara, was diagnosed with severe brain
damage when she was a child. Schneps’
daughter was one of the 5,000 residents
at Willowbrook State Institution in Staten
Island, which was over capacity and poorly
run, with terrible living conditions that
got worse aft er the state cut funding to
the facility.
Geraldo Rivera, who in 1972 was an upand
coming reporter, did extensive investigative
reporting on the deplorable conditions
of the institution. He interviewed Schneps
about her experiences as a vocal advocate for
the residents’ rights and better treatment for
people with developmental disabilities. Th e
story gained national attention.
Since then, Life’s WORC has opened group
homes across Queens, providing educational
and skill-building opportunities for kids and
teens. In the 2000s, its headquarters moved
to Garden City and several more homes
opened in both Queens and Long Island.
Most recently, in 2015, Life’s WORC opened
Th e Family Center for Autism where people
can go to participate in classes and programs,
among other social activities.
“Fift y homes have been opened with wonderful
opportunities in a great environment
Photos by Bruce Adler
with humane care and treatment with all
the rights of any other citizen of the United
States,” Rivera said. “It’s a miracle how far
we’ve come. Th ere are so many bad news stories
out there, but this is a celebration.”
Th e daylong event included brunch, golf
and, later, a dinner reception with speakers
such as Peter J. Klein, chief investment
offi cer and founder of ALINE Wealth, and
Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, PC Partner, E.
Christopher Murray, to commemorate the
nonprofi t’s 50 years of advocating for individuals
with intellectual and developmental
disabilities.
Sean Hannity, political commentator on
Fox News, also addressed the turnout, stating,
“I want to thank you all for what you
do every day. All of us, we do our thing and
hopefully we make the world a better place.
Geraldo Rivera has done so much for so
many and seeing this crowd today makes
me so happy.”
link
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
