FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 16, 2018 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 71
Golfi ng for causes
Lexie Lodato, Maria Grasso and Lauren
Grasso at the American Kidney Fund
outing
Judges David Vaughan
and Larry Kniff el
Robert Franceschini surrounded by
his family, sons Robert (left) and
James (right) with grandson Martino
impact for the National Kidney
Fund because of her own family’s
needs. Frank Pellicone, also a
part of the Flushing Bank staff , is
the cause’s big champion, getting
everyone he talks to as excited as
he is for helping people with kidney
problems.
LaSpina and
Judge Joseph
Tara Buonocore, Michael N. Rosenblut and Lina Scacco of Parker
Jewish Institute at outing
Jeannie Doherty Benckwit, Maryann Benzola, Lina Scacco and, Dana
Sherwin at Parker Jewish golf outing
My husband, Stu, was
a nephrologist specializing
in kidney disease.
Ironically, he got very sick and
his kidneys began failing, so he
had to go on dialysis. It was a
tough illness that fi nally took his
life. I was happy to support the
foundation’s work in his memory.
I made my last stop at the Glen
Oaks Club in Old Westbury
to see my friends at Parker
Jewish and their CEO, Michael
Rosenbluth. Th ey honored Evan
Portnoy, president of Rampart
Benefi t Planning, and sold out
their 26th annual golf outing.
I was, of course, disappointed
that I couldn’t get to the
Life’s WORC golf outing, but
was thrilled to learn that it was
a great success for the organization
with a prominent Long
Island restaurateur, Robert
Franceschini, owner of Piccolo’s
in Mineola, who is leaving a
legacy for his deceased wife by
Frank Pellicione, Terri Kelly,
MaryEllen Bianco and Gus
Buitrago from Flushing Bank
Gregory
Covello
on the Long Island Sound in
Lattingtown.
Th e outing is named for
Geraldo Rivera, the talented
lawyer, journalist, writer and
commentator who has been the
guardian angel of Life’s WORC
for more than four decades, raising
cause.
In the early 1970s, he reported
on horrifi c conditions at the
now-infamous Willowbrook
State School on Staten Island.
My daughter, Lara, had been in
the baby rehabilitation building
when budget cuts slashed staff
who were helping many of the
helpless people there.
Life’s WORC volunteers and
I marched and picketed, and
Geraldo stayed with the story,
and ultimately, a federal lawsuit
was fi led. My daughter was one
of the plaintiff s in the case; in the
end, our side won and the facility
was fi nally closed.
Th rough it all, Geraldo stayed
connected to us. I won’t be golfing,
event is, for me, a perfect way to
help the cause raise desperately
needed funds.
If you want to attend or volunteer
out to Life’s WORC by visiting
and ask for Matt Zebatto.
Nothing feels better than giving
in which there were many great
causes to give back to!
DYNAMIC DENTAL WORK
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Golf, a game I like to call “a
day in the park” but that
most people take very
seriously. It is a great way for
people to network and help worthy
causes.
Last Monday, four charities,
very close to my heart, had golf
outings and dinners to raise
money for their causes, and I
had the chance to support three
of them.
Life’s WORC raised tens of
thousands of dollars during
the Debra Franceschini Golf
Classic at the Hempstead
Country Club in Garden City.
At the same time, Parker
Jewish Institute held its
outing at the prestigious
Glen Oaks Country
Club, and the American
Kidney Fund fi lled the
course at Glen Cove’s
Nassau Country Club.
Finally, the Engineers
Country Club in Roslyn
Harbor hosted the Holes
for Hope tournament helping
people in the Autism
spectrum.
Since I had connections
to all of these
groups, I started near
home at Engineers
Country Club at 10 a.m.
As I drove up, I saw the
valet and all the staff of
the club in purple shirts
with the imprint Holes
for Hope on everyone
in sight. Th e devoted
volunteers raised money
for Autism Speaks, a
devoted, successful and meaningful
group.
I headed to work with the
plan to have dinner and cocktails
at the other groups outings.
I managed to make it over
to the Nassau Country Club in
Glen Cove to say hello to my
friends from Flushing Bank,
whose chief operating offi cer,
Maria Grasso, has made a big
naming the golf outing in
her memory. .
I have plans to join Life’s
WORC on Sept. 26
for the 31st Geraldo
Rivera Golf and Tennis
Classic, with Geraldo
golfi ng at the stunning
Creek Country Club,
millions of dollars for the
but enjoying dinner at the
for the outing, reach
lifesworc.org/events/31st-annual
geraldo-rivera-golf-tennis
classic, or call 516-741-9000
back, and last week was one
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