‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ Celebrity-Filled Music Video Supports Cure 4 The Kids Foundation (Photo by Ben Poland)

‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’

Celebrity-Filled Music Video Supports Cure 4 The Kids Foundation

By Stacey Gualandi

Christmas came early for several child cancer warriors, thanks to Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, Nevada’s only dedicated outpatient treatment center for children affected by cancer and rare diseases.

In July, a group of finalists from "American Idol," "America's Got Talent" and "The Voice" joined “voices” at a Las Vegas studio to film a special holiday music video, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” The project aims to save lives and support children battling cancer, including 15-year-old Aiden Pina Cruz.

“I love the meaning behind it because it's about supporting the organization and spreading awareness. I'm glad to be a part of it. It's really, really fun,” he said.

It was a joy to watch Cruz behind the scenes, in full Dr. Seuss “Whoville” makeup, along with others singing the iconic holiday tune.

He’s come a long way. When Cruz was 8, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

“It was just basically a surplus of white blood cells ... that were starting to attack my immune system,” he said. “I had to go to the hospital, and when they discovered it, it was heartbreaking. At the time, I didn't really know what cancer was. I was around 9 when I finally discovered the gravity of the situation.”

Seven years later, Cruz is now a success story because of the foundation’s work.

“I’m doing fantastic. You know, you have to let go of the past. You can’t really focus on it if you want to move toward a better future. That’s my philosophy,” he said. “Once I left it behind, I started to realize I can be a normal person.”

“They're in the biggest battle of their lives,” said a teary Mitch Koulouris.

“First and foremost, it's about helping these kids. We want to be able to bring the care these kids need regardless of their ability to pay and without having to go out of state.”

Koulouris is the director of digital marketing and social media for Cure 4 The Kids Foundation. He gets emotional thinking about all the talent who volunteered their time to make the special holiday anthem video:

• Las Vegas headliner, ventriloquist, impressionist, comedian and singer Terry Fator
• "American Idol" finalists Mackenzie Sol, Drew Ryn, Maryjo Young, Amanda Barise and Samoan Silkk
• Former Why Don’t We boy band member Jonah Marais
• "The Voice" finalist Sadie Dahl
• TikTok creator, singer and actress Peng Peng

"It’s a really big jigsaw puzzle. It requires a lot of planning, but to build on the success of the last one ["Happy Xmas (Cancer’s Over)"] with Nick Carter and Kyle Khou is really kind of a no-brainer.”

Koulouris and "American Idol" casting producer Kyle Khou won an Emmy for the first Cure 4 The Kids Foundation music video project two years ago.

“The first time went so well, and it was one of the best experiences of my life,” Khou said. “When Mitch said, ‘Let’s do this again, but even bigger,’ I’m like, ‘Here we go!’”

Khou said he tapped some of the best singers from around the world and from all different walks of life.

“I chose Peng Peng because she was an Olympian and a singer; I chose Amanda from New York because of her jazz background; Jonah was in one of the biggest boy bands of all time; Sadie’s really big in the LDS community and music world,” he said.

On Nov. 2, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” will be available on all major streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and others.

Every time the reimagined song is streamed, a small donation will go to Cure 4 The Kids Foundation.

“We want to raise a million dollars,” Koulouris said. “For the kids who are actually in the video, they still talk about the experience in the studio to this day, and giving them those memories is really important.”

For Cruz, all of his good memories far outweigh the bad.

“If I never had cancer to begin with, my life wouldn't be this way,” he said. “I've gotten a new perspective in life. I've started to chase more ambitious goals, and because of it, I became the person I am. Of course, without Cure 4 The Kids, I wouldn't even be here to begin with.”

Stream "Do They Know It's Christmas?" on your favorite platform.