On Monday, November 27, Project 12-04 will be hosting a concert featuring Emmy Award Winner Shaun Johnson with his signature big band brand of music. The concert is meant to benefit and raise awareness for children with genetic disorders and their families. 

“Music is something that relates to all abilities and disabilities,” said Nicole Schmidt, founder of Project 12-04. 

Nicole says it is something she and her son, Andrew, have bonded over. 

So, Project 12-04 decided to celebrate children with genetic disorders and their families by hosting a big musical event at the Becker High School Auditorium. 

About the Event

Nicole Schmidt reached out to Shaun Johnson, the lead singer of the band Tonic Sol Fa, and an Emmy Winner. 

Johnson makes an effort to give back to charities every year, he told this reporter, but after agreeing to come to Becker and put on a concert, he learned more about Project 12-04 and the families it supports and got even more excited about the project. 

“I’d not heard of Pallister Killian Syndrome, and I’d not heard of Andrew Schmidt. But as I dove into his story, I - as a dad to three daughters - could not help but be moved,” said Johnson. “His life is miraculous, and so is this community.”

Johnson said he lived in St. Cloud for many years and was excited to be coming back to the community to put on a big show. The performance will be November 27 at 7 p.m. at the Becker High School Auditorium. 

Nicole says it’s amazing that Becker residents will be able to see this amazing artist right in their hometown. It’s not often that Becker sees such an amazing show right in its own backyard. 

Nicole also noted that special education students from the Becker School District will be helping to run the show, as a means to gain excellent work experience. 

Tickets are still available at Project1204.com/events, and will be available at the door unless sold out ahead of time. 

About Shaun Johnson

Shaun Johnson is an Emmy Award winning vocalist and a member of the a capella quartet, Tonic Sol-Fa. Tonic Sol-Fa hails from Minnesota and has sold over two million albums. 

While Johnson is still an active member of the group, he has also started his own musical journey. In 2016, Johnson began to assemble a group of very talented musicians from around the midwest to create a big band experience that would make the likes of Frank Sinatra proud. 

About Project 12-04

Project 12-04 was founded by Nicole Schmidt and her family. Their son, Andrew, was born with a rare genetic disorder called Pallister Killian Syndrome (PKS). Andrew was originally misdiagnosed with another genetic disorder before his medical team helped the family to find the diagnosis that fit him best. 

PKS is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome. While most people have 46 chromosomes, children with PKS have 47. On chromosome 12 of the human genetic makeup, there are four copies of the chromosome arm instead of two, as is the case with most people.

This is from where the name for Project 12-04 comes. And it is also the day that the Schmidts celebrate every year: December 4th. 

Every year in or around December, Project 12-04 hosts several amazing events to support children with genetic disorders and their families, such as a Christmas party for the area’s special needs kids, and Operation Xmas Jammies.

Operation Xmas Jammies began as a way to support children with PKS, like Andrew. Due to the nature of the disorder, it is difficult to find toys or hobbies that children with the disease can all enjoy. But a soft, comfy pair of pajamas can bring a lot of comfort to these kids. So, over eight years, Operation Xmas Jammies had a goal of sending a new pair of pajamas to these rare children all over the world. 

In recent years, the project has been reaching out to families of other children with disabilities. Last year, Operation Xmas Jammies was able to ship out 200 boxes with comfortable pajamas to families all over the world, but they were unable to send to everyone who requested a box. Nicole Schmidt says the goal for this year is to send a box to every family who requests one. Those wishing to sponsor a child can visit OperationXmasJammies.com.

In addition to their events in December, and throughout the year, Project 12-04 is aimed to bring together families of children with genetic disorders, creating a community of families that support one another through the good times and the tough times alike.