Life’s WORC (www.lifesworc.org), a private, not-for-profit organization providing comprehensive support for individuals with developmental disabilities, recently held its 23rd Annual Geraldo Rivera Golf and Tennis Classic.
This year’s honorees were Fordham University’s Head Basketball Coach Tom Pecora and Dr. Sean Cotter, founder of Liberty Wellness & Chiro.
The event, which took place at the Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, was very successful in raising funds and awareness. On hand was Geraldo Rivera, for whom the event is named, based on his uncovering of gross abuses at the Willowbrook State Institution. Rivera’s FOX television network colleague, Brian Kilmeade, host of FOX and Friends, was also in attendance.
“We look to recognize individuals with a long history of contributing to the community, the health and well-being of local residents and our overall quality of life,” said Life’s WORC president and chief executive officer Peter Smergut. “Both of our honorees exemplify this tradition and we are proud to be honoring them at one of our most important annual events.”
Life’s WORC (formerly WORC) was co-founded in 1971 by Victoria Schneps-Yunis whose daughter resided in the Willowbrook State Institution. Following a scathing investigative report by Rivera in 1977 that uncovered gross abuses and neglect of the institution’s residents, Schneps rallied friends, political contacts and Rivera to help further advance the cause of people with mental retardation.
These efforts resulted in the opening of WORC’s first group home in Little Neck in 1977 – the Geraldo Rivera Residence. It would become the first of many others and the impetus behind the expanded services Life’s WORC now provides throughout Queens, Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Currently, Life’s WORC maintains 35 home and 16 non-residential community-based services across the region.
