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Teen raises money for diabetes

Seventeen magazine featured Christina-Marie Drake, who has family in Oakwood.

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By Sharon Wilmore, Contributing Writer Updated 10:38 AM Thursday, October 15, 2009

Christina-Marie Drake said she was inspired to perform her first concert for a cause by a cousin who suffered with diabetes. Drake, who grew up in California, was visiting her grandparents in Oakwood when she was in eighth grade.

On a trip to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio, her cousin became ill. “I remember we had to stop riding rides because his blood sugar was really low,’’ says Drake.

Drake’s mother, Darlene Diehl of San Diego, says her daughter returned to California a little “freaked’’ by her cousin’s experience. Diehl says her daughter knew about adult diabetes because her grandmother is diabetic. But she thought there should be more awareness of childhood diabetes. “She thought we should do something about it,’’ Diehl says.

With $200 from her parents, Christina organized a concert to raise money for diabetes research. She recruited local bands. She convinced a classmate to design a T-shirt. She found the venue. When plans to work on the event with a church fell through, she found an alternative, says her mother.

“I wasn’t surprised it was a success. I was surprised she came up with the idea,’’ says Diehl. “She’s just an amazing kid.’’

Not afraid to work

Drake has brought this same passion to Defiance College where she is part of the Citizen Leader program, a scholarship program for students who have exhibited outstanding service and leadership as incoming freshmen. In addition to organizing concerts, she’s active with Big Brothers Big Sisters, youth programs at the YMCA, performing mission work and serving as vice president of her sorority, cheerleading and competing in pageants. She works also part-time as a librarian and audio visual technician on campus.

“She definitely deserves the award from Seventeen’’ says Kathryn Litle, the former director of Leadership Programs at Defiance.

“She’s a very ambitious person who knows what she wants. She isn’t afraid of working with people, and she isn’t afraid of working hard,’’ says Litle. “She takes her passion and turns it into a way to give back to the community.’’

Drake said she adopts a new charity every year. While searching for the next charity to support earlier this summer, she stumbled upon the Rock for Autism booth at a Vans Warped Tour concert in Cincinnati. She was impressed with the organization and its mission to help parents of children with autism.

She’s working on a series of shows in Ohio and Michigan that kicked off Oct. 8. She’s putting together shows in Cincinnati and Cleveland in November.

A drive to help others

The college sophomore, who is majoring in English and education with minors in communications and broadcasting, said she has her future planned. She hopes to enjoy rock stardom for a while, then teach English at a military school during the day and work as a radio DJ at night.

Drake says her drive to help others comes from her mother.

“My mom is my role model. She set an example. She would bring home a hobo for dinner. For me it is about emulating my mom. She is the epitome of a Christian, not because she preaches, but because she acts,” she said.

Contact this reporter at sharon.wilmore@gmail.com.