Press Release Archives - 547-96 "Cassidy's Place" Ribbon Cutting

Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: October 24, 1996

Release #547-96

Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Jack Deacy (212) 788 2969

MAYOR GIULIANI CUTS THE RIBBON TO OPEN 'CASSIDY'S PLACE'

New Building Will House Association to Benefit Children's Programs For Homeless & Disabled Children Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani this morning participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open 'Cassidy's Place,' the new national headquarters for the Association to Benefit Children (ABC) that will be home to several ABC programs for homeless, disabled and children who suffer from AIDS. Joining the Mayor at the opening were ABC Executive Director Gretchen Buchenholz, and Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford and their children, Cassidy and Cody. The new facility is named for the Giffords' three-year-old daughter, Cassidy.

"I'm pleased to be here today as we dedicate 'Cassidy's Place' -- a very special place which will help ease the burden on poor families and help ailing children live the best lives they can for as long as they can," Mayor Giuliani said. "As Mayor of New York City, I have worked hard to make the needs of children a top priority in my administration. But improving the lives of our children can't be done by government alone. It is a shared societal responsibility. That why the Association to Benefit Children and people like Kathie Lee are so important to our City."

'Cassidy's Place,' located at 419 East 86th Street in Manhattan, will feature a therapeutic day nursery for 100 children who suffer from seriously disabling conditions, including HIV and AIDS. The facility will combine on-site medical, educational, family support, psychological and language therapy services.

The Association to Benefit Children is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1986 to give abused, neglected, homeless and terminally ill children their rightful chance at a loving, healthy start in life. It has helped thousands of needy children through programs which provide early intervention, day care, housing, drug and AIDS prevention, parenting workshops, family therapy, job training, health care and legal advocacy.