Hello! My name is Joanne. I have been doing Benefits for years now. It all started in Bay Shore NY in 1992.I had been around the music biz long enough to become friends with a lot of entertainers that's I knew my way around things.
   In 1992,I did a benefit for Baby Amanda, a beautiful 3 year old who needed a bone marrow transplant. My friend Donny and myself worked with the family to  put on a Benefit to help raise funds for Amanda to go have her transplant. With the help of some great entertainers, Nick Salvato of the Chaperones, Tom Swift and his group the Valentinos, Donny and his band, Mickey B MC'd, we raised $8.700 for Amanda.
     Thane in 1993 while I was reading the paper Baby Dorothy's story came to me, this  2 year old baby was born with an unknown illness. Bill Pascali and his group the Ghosts of Rock N Roll got involved, Bill along with my friends Randy "Dom" Safuto,  Gary Us Bonds recorded a song called " Brighter Day" all proceeds from the sale of the tape went to Dorothy. The song was played on tv and radio and  was sung at the Benefit for Dorothy. We raised $8.800 for Dorothy which went to her medical fund to help the family with onset bills, a generator  for Dorothy's  medical  things in case electric went out.
    Both Children passed away shortly after their Benefits. I went to one funeral for Amanda and as much as I was saddened to not see her live to be a healthy happy child, she taught me to keep moving on.  I continued Benefits in  Las Vegas in 1999 I reached out to Catholic  Charities in hopes I could be of some help.
     I was able to get a bike store to donate a bike to a young boy who's bike was stolen, we had donations give for their pantry and raised  some money to help with the needs  of the charity.
     Please enjoy my walk down memory lane.