Broadway Comes Together in Honor of Late Star 'The Lion King's' Shannon Tavarez.
A somber yet uplifting evening was held at The Museum of Broadway, as the community gathered to commemorate a young performer who left an indelible mark on their lives. Shannon Tavarez, just 11 years old when she lost her battle with leukemia in 2010, had been part of the cast of 'The Lion King' since the age of 10.
Those closest to Tavarez describe her as radiant and vibrant, embodying the show's themes of life and passion. Her mother, Odiney Brown, reminisces about a young girl who displayed an unmistakable talent for singing and dancing at just five years old. The family's quest for bone marrow matches proved futile, however, as only 6% of African Americans are registered donors – a statistic that Tavarez had tragically fallen victim to.
L. Steven Taylor, who plays Mufasa in 'The Lion King,' shared a poignant anecdote about the young actress: "She was super vibrant... full of life... and uniting people all the way to the end really speaks to who she is." Her foundation's goal remains to encourage marginalized communities to register as bone marrow donors.
A simple yet crucial process allows potential donors to join the registry – just a cheek swab and one form to fill out. It may seem small but has the power to change lives forever. The legacy of Shannon Tavarez continues to inspire, her mother Brown stating, "You never know... Shannon never lost that light."
The event, titled 'Casting the Role of a Lifeline,' is an annual occurrence, held to help find bone marrow matches for those affected by blood cancers. By participating in this initiative, the community honors Tavarez's memory and carries on her work, one life-saving donation at a time.
To learn more about becoming a bone marrow donor or to support Shannon Tavarez's foundation, please visit https://www.dkms.org/ and https://shannonsshare.org/, respectively.
A somber yet uplifting evening was held at The Museum of Broadway, as the community gathered to commemorate a young performer who left an indelible mark on their lives. Shannon Tavarez, just 11 years old when she lost her battle with leukemia in 2010, had been part of the cast of 'The Lion King' since the age of 10.
Those closest to Tavarez describe her as radiant and vibrant, embodying the show's themes of life and passion. Her mother, Odiney Brown, reminisces about a young girl who displayed an unmistakable talent for singing and dancing at just five years old. The family's quest for bone marrow matches proved futile, however, as only 6% of African Americans are registered donors – a statistic that Tavarez had tragically fallen victim to.
L. Steven Taylor, who plays Mufasa in 'The Lion King,' shared a poignant anecdote about the young actress: "She was super vibrant... full of life... and uniting people all the way to the end really speaks to who she is." Her foundation's goal remains to encourage marginalized communities to register as bone marrow donors.
A simple yet crucial process allows potential donors to join the registry – just a cheek swab and one form to fill out. It may seem small but has the power to change lives forever. The legacy of Shannon Tavarez continues to inspire, her mother Brown stating, "You never know... Shannon never lost that light."
The event, titled 'Casting the Role of a Lifeline,' is an annual occurrence, held to help find bone marrow matches for those affected by blood cancers. By participating in this initiative, the community honors Tavarez's memory and carries on her work, one life-saving donation at a time.
To learn more about becoming a bone marrow donor or to support Shannon Tavarez's foundation, please visit https://www.dkms.org/ and https://shannonsshare.org/, respectively.
... so sad that Shannon was gone way too soon 
... but it's awesome that her family is keepin' her memory alive by encouragin' people to register as bone marrow donors 
... i mean, it's literally a cheek swab and a form to fill out 
... how easy can it be? 
... we gotta do more to raise awareness about this stuff... like, did you know only 6% of African Americans are registered donors? 
that's wild... Shannon's legacy is still shinin' bright 
... let's keep movin' forward and makin' a difference in people's lives 
it's not much but its literally saving lives 
I'm definitely going to check out those websites and see how I can get involved 
. The fact that only 6% of African Americans are registered donors makes me wanna register ASAP... it's a simple process, but like you said, it can change lives forever 
. I'm so inspired by Shannon's foundation & the community coming together to honor her memory 
.
... she was so young & already making an impact like that on people's lives. It's crazy to think that someone as talented & full of life (as her mom put it) could leave us too soon 
... and honestly it's a pretty simple process 
this is so heartbreaking & beautiful all at once... shannon's legacy lives on through her foundation & the impact she had on people's lives is truly incredible 
and i love how the community came together to honor her memory & keep her spirit alive 
. Thinkin' 'bout Shannon Tavarez remind me that life is so unfair sometimes. One minute she's on stage, shinin', livin' her best life, and the next... gone. Like, what even is that? It's just... cruel 
.