editor’s note: This post was originally published in July of 2014 but has been updated to include recent events.
The first few weeks of grief after losing a child are a mixture of rage, sadness, helplessness and fear: An unstable concoction that can react and explode at any given moment. As someone who can now count himself among the unfortunate fraternity of those who lost a child I am sometimes asked by people to reach out to others who have recently suffered the same loss. The almost universal inquiry that follows is if I can say something , anything, that will help them or guide them along their path. Sadly, it is in those early days that words will have little or no effect. I cannot describe the hysteria that is felt in the immediate aftermath other than to say it is a wheel of emotions in perpetual flux. You … Read More
Our 2024 Toy Drive is up and running! Please head to one of our over 30 drop off locations to donate a toy to a family in need this holiday season. Please help us help those who would otherwise go without a gift this holiday season <3.
I hate that October 27th is THAT date on the calendar I can’t avoid. It’s a day that stands out, stark and unforgiving, etched in the darkest ink. Year after year, it approaches, unwelcome and unrelenting. Every year, as this date looms, the pain, sadness, and loss build to a crescendo, threatening to engulf everything in its wake. If time is a wheel, then the 27th is now the hub it spins around…
It’s hard to believe that eleven October Twenty Seventh’s have come and gone since my little boy, Richie “Rees” Specht, was taken from us in a tragic drowning accident. It feels like it happened just yesterday, the pain and heartache still as fresh as ever, etching that fateful day into my memory like a permanent scar. In fact, it’s only when I take the time to assess that scar that the realization hits that it formed over … Read More
This one hurts and I’ve got a mix of emotions swirling inside. As you know, the ReesSpecht Life Foundation has always been about spreading kindness and positively impacting the world. Life threw me a curveball recently, and it turns out – I have trouble with the curve… As such, I felt it’s important to open up to you, our incredible community, because you’ve been there with us and our mission through thick and thin.
The Deception:
It’s never easy to talk about times when trust is shattered. I’ve always believed in the goodness of people and the power of coming together to make a difference. In some ways, because this is how I choose to see the world, I mistakenly assume that everyone sees the world this way. It’s precisely this thinking that helped create the ReesSpecht Life Foundation – and it’s precisely this thinking that allowed someone to take … Read More
Our 2022 Toy Drive is Officially on!
We have over 40 dropoff locations throughout Long Island – but if you can’t make it to one of our locations, click on this link to send us a Toy Directly through Amazon. Even better, make sure to add ReesSpecht Life as your charity on Amazon, and every toy you donate will earn us a little extra in donations through Amazon Smile. Go to Smile.Amazon.com for more info on how to do that and be sure to add ReesSpecht Life as your charity of choice.
Below is the list of our 2022 Public Dropoff Locations:
- All Saf-T-Swim Locations
- B.E.A.S.T. in Huntington
- Jazzercise in Nesconset
- All Smithtown Library Locations
- Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dental (All Locations)
- Tuscany Gourment Market in Miller Place
- Marinelli’s Pizza in Sound Beach
- Dance N’ Things in Smithtown
- DL Barn and DL Pasture in Northport
- Best Learning Center
- Long Island Museum