Life’s WORC Hosts Hamptons Benefit With Geraldo Rivera, Bill O’Reilly and Honorees

Life’s WORC held its Annual Hamptons Summer Soirée in Victoria Schneps’ Hamptons home to raise support for programs serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The event honored Bill Ritter and Trish Gathers and followed the organization’s 38th Annual Geraldo Rivera Golf Classic.

Why it matters: - Life’s WORC is using its summer fundraising events to support residential services, education, employment opportunities and family support programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. - The organization says the funds help expand programs that promote independence, opportunity and dignity across New York. - The events also underscore a decades-long public campaign around community-based care that began with exposure of conditions at Willowbrook State School.

What happened: - Life’s WORC held its Annual Hamptons Summer Soirée at Victoria Schneps’ Hamptons home. - Geraldo Rivera and Life’s WORC Founder Victoria Schneps hosted the afternoon benefit. - Bill O’Reilly joined the event as a special guest. - The gathering came after the 38th Annual Geraldo Rivera Golf Classic. - The soirée brought together leaders from media, business and philanthropy. - Notable attendees included Geraldo Rivera, Victoria Schneps-Yunis, Bill O’Reilly, Bill Ritter and Trish Gathers.

The details: - ABC News anchor Bill Ritter received the Life’s WORC Courage Award. - Life’s WORC recognized Ritter for his commitment to journalism and community leadership, along with his disclosure of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. - Trish Gathers, president and CEO of Carmelite System Inc., received the Community Service Award. - Life’s WORC said Gathers was honored for leadership and service to communities. - The Hamptons Summer Soirée is one of the organization’s signature annual fundraising events. - The Golf Classic and the Summer Soirée form the cornerstone of Life’s WORC’s annual fundraising calendar. - The events help connect longtime supporters, corporate partners, civic leaders and philanthropists.

Between the lines: - Geraldo Rivera’s role with Life’s WORC reflects a relationship that dates to 1972, when his reporting on Willowbrook State School helped bring national attention to abuse and neglect in care for people with developmental disabilities. - Life’s WORC says that history helped drive reforms and the shift toward community-based housing. - The organization has turned that legacy into a recurring fundraising platform tied to a broader message about inclusion and community support. - The timing also suggests Life’s WORC is pairing high-profile events with mission-focused storytelling to keep donor attention on long-term services rather than one-time charity.

What's next: - Life’s WORC will continue relying on the Golf Classic and the Hamptons Summer Soirée to support future programs and fundraising. - The organization plans to keep expanding services for individuals and families it serves in New York. - Geraldo Rivera remains a visible advocate for the group’s mission, which suggests the partnership will likely continue to anchor future events.

The bottom line: - Life’s WORC is turning celebrity-backed summer fundraising into sustained support for disability services, while linking the campaign to a long reform history that still shapes the organization’s identity.