Video concert for fund raiser ST JUDE

  My name is Lauren Papa.  I am a 56 year old mother of 5.  My children are adults, a child and an adult with special needs.  I have recently become a grandmother of twin girls.

I am a child of Long Island, New York, but spent most of my life in Southern California.

For my 40th birthday, I wanted to have a “Who’s Your Papa” concert.  A friend of mine, a Grammy award winning song writer, let me use some of his older songs, re-arrange the songs and perform for my friends.  

Long before that, when I was a college student, I asked my father if I could minor in dance.  He told me that no way was he going to allow me to minor in dance, that would do nothing for my future.  So, like an obedient daughter, I minored in dance.

When I did my first show for my 40th birthday, I wanted to add choreography.  We choreographed all the songs.  85 people showed up to a local night club in Los Angeles called The Mint.  

I was hooked.  I wanted to do more shows but couldn’t figure out how to drag my friends and colleagues to see me perform.  Then I remembered that I could raise money for charity.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital takes children with catastrophic diseases from all over the world and provides treatment for free.  Not only does St. Jude provide treatment to children who may not have lived,  but they pay to fly in the children, and also fly in their parents and siblings so that a sick child who may not speak English is not alone.

Additionally, St. Jude shares their research.  Most cancer researchers, (usually universities) raise their money from government grants as well as donations.  The majority of the research money comes from grants.  Therefore, the researchers cannot afford to share information, because that would put the grants at risk.  St. Jude raises money from donations alone.  The St. Jude researchers are able to share valuable information with other researchers.  This helps save lives..

When I did my first show for my 40th birthday, I wanted to add choreography.  We choreographed all the songs.  85 people showed up to a local night club in Los Angeles called The Mint.  

I was hooked.  I wanted to do more shows but couldn’t figure out how to drag my friends and colleagues to see me perform.  Then I remembered that I could raise money for charity.

mother of special needs child

Mother of special needs child

Artist song from st jude concert

Artist song from st jude concert