Community Corner

Teen Musician Brings 'Christmas Smiles'

Kate Diaz, who regularly performs at Potbelly, is donating revenue from song purchases to charity this holiday season.

A 13-year-old musician is using her talent to remind listeners to enjoy the Christmas season as she also works to support a charitable cause.

Kate Diaz, who area residents might recognize from her regular Saturday afternoon guitar performances at Potbelly, 1520 E. Lake Cook Road, has turned her passion into a seasonal fundraiser.

From Thanksgiving until Christmas, she earmarks the tips she receives from her sandwich shop gigs as charitable donations. This season, she's hoping that her contribution — which is being supplemented this year by sales of an original Christmas song — will exceed the $400 she raised last year. The money will benefit CureSearch for Children's Cancer.

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Diaz is selling downloads of "Christmas Smiles" on iTunes and Amazon.com and offering CD singles for $1 during her Potbelly performances, which are held from noon to 2 p.m. on most Saturdays throughout the year.

"Christmas Smiles" stemmed from an original song she had titled "Miles of Smiles." When her middle school choir teacher asked her to write a Christmas song for the school's holiday concert last year, Diaz penned seasonal words to fit the tune.

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"The whole song is just kind of about being happy around Christmas," said Diaz, who is now a high school freshman. "You should be happy and smile around Christmastime because it only comes around once a year."

She said some fans have said they plan to give her CD single as a Christmas gift this year.

"People think it's cool that it's a Christmas song, but it's like a pop Christmas song. It's not overly Christmas," she said.

Diaz's repertoire includes 10 original songs as well as cover tunes. Her music ranges from hip-hop to classic rock, she said.

The fundraiser doubles as Diaz's leadership service project, which is assigned to participants of the Oakbrook-based Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy. A soccer player, Diaz has attended the summer camp for the past three years.

Diaz said she chose to support CureSearch after researching different cancer-related charities, partly because her grandfather had the disease. "I always thought, 'What if it happened to a kid?' That's really sad," she said.

She has raised approximately $300 so far this season. She plays at Potbelly again from noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 18, and will perform for a second time that day from 6-8 p.m. In addition, 25 percent of the restaurant's sales from 5-9 p.m. Dec. 18 will benefit CureSearch for Children's Cancer.

For more information about Kate Diaz's music and fundraising efforts, visit her website.


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