On Monday, May 13, Life’s WORC hosted the 36th Annual Geraldo Rivera Golf Classic at the Old Westbury Golf and Country Club, raising money for the critical community work that Life’s WORC performs throughout the year across Nassau County. The event also honored accomplished litigator and businessman Howard Fensterman, of Abrams Fensterman, LLP, for his service to the community.
Participants in the sold-out event gathered under blue skies that Monday morning to hear from prominent speakers before the golf outing’s shotgun start, including County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Schneps publisher and Life’s WORC founder Vicki Schneps, and acclaimed journalist Geraldo Rivera himself, who was also presented with a certificate from West Babylon High School, his alma mater.
Speaking to a crowd of dozens of golfers, press, and well-wishers, Blakeman praised Rivera as “an incredible guy” with an outstanding career, also commenting on the other local dignitaries who came out in support.
“What can I say about Vicki [Schneps]? She’s always involved in good things, and she has one of the largest media companies not only in New York State but in the United States. She’s also the founder of Life’s WORC, which is why we’re here today. It’s one of those organizations that really, really stands out for helping people with disabilities.”
Blakeman also thanked political commentator and journalist Bill O’Reilly and Babylon Town Councilman Anthony Manetta for stopping by the event that day to show their ongoing support for the impact of Life’s WORC.
“We are here for a lot of different reasons,” Blakeman continued. “We are here for children with disabilities, for adults who need housing, and for parents who need support. So I want to thank every one of you for coming out, and our great sponsors.”
“I met Geraldo when he was a fighting reporter, and he met Vicki through his advocacy and his journalistic work at the Willowbrook Center, which was abusing children. He exposed that, and changed the whole conversation with respect to how we tried people with disabilities and with mental illness. We’re here to celebrate him, and to raise money and raise consciousness of the plight of these individuals who could use a little extra help.”
Blakeman joked to Rivera, “I’m quite shocked that you’re so successful given that you graduated from the University of Arizona. I went to Arizona State, so we don’t like each other.”
Before turning over the microphone, Blakeman added, “By the power vested in me on behalf of the 1.5 million residents of Nassau County, I am going to declare this Geraldo Rivera Day in all of Nassau County.”
Schneps spoke next, noting about Rivera, “This man showed the good that the power of the press can make in our lives and in our world. I met Geraldo at Willowbrook when my daughter was there and I was marching and picketing, and I was knocking on air until Geraldo came with cameras. The power of his passionate coverage propelled us to a class-action lawsuit, Willowbrook was closed, and every group home [in our area] that exists today came out of that. And it all began with the power of the press.”
“I don’t know if you know [this],” she said to Rivera, “but you inspired me to start my first newspaper 39 years ago. Now we own about 100, but it all started with Geraldo, and what his passionate, caring soul brought to the screen continues today.”
Addressing a crowd of his friends and supporters, Rivera said, “We’ve taken this idea of humanity, this idea of caring for the disabled, treating them with the same constitutional rights as any able-bodied person, and with that simple concept of equality we have changed the world.”
“I am tremendously honored. The journey we have taken … since 1972 is one of the great success stories.”
“This is one of those causes that crosses all lines. And it has succeeded.”
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