People have been finding many great ways to show thanks to frontline workers since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. Restaurants have been delivering free food to hospitals, people have been writing heartfelt letters of appreciation for hospital workers on social media, and others have been holding up “thank you” signs or staking appreciative messages in their front yard to honor these hardworking individuals.
Another incredible way frontline employees have been honored recently is through colorful artwork that has been plastered on a billboard in Times Square. It has been the ultimate way to get young children involved in a vital matter, while at the same time, making frontline workers feel good about their long hours of hard, risky labor during this time.
The Times Square-plastered artwork is all thanks to Shutterfly who held a competition asking children to submit a “thank you” piece of artwork signifying gratitude.
For the #CreateThanks campaign, over 450 kids ended up submitting work. However, only a small selection of children had their artwork selected. That included 7-year-old Kelli-Rose Simpson Forde from Long Island, 5-year-old Xavier Garcia from Long Island, and 4-year-old Amarry London Alhassan from Brooklyn.
Their beautiful work is both as meaningful as it is colorful and eye-catching.
Little Xavier chose to create a piece of artwork that resembled hospital workers as superheroes. (They really are heroes!)
“I made this picture to thank the doctors and nurses for being superheroes,” Xavier, who’s pictured below, reiterated.
And below is Kelli-Rose with her artwork exhibiting the message, “Thank you for keeping us safe!” She looks so happy to see that her artwork was chosen among hundreds of children to be represented in the city.
And below is Amarry and her work of art that reads, “Thank you to the healthcare providers for fighting the Coronavirus,” along with a pair of hands offering love and a helping hand to those essential workers. Amarry’s mother, who’s also pictured below, is a physician’s assistant, so partaking in the Shutterfly campaign meant a lot to her.
Hopefully the billboard artwork will give stressed-out drivers and rushed pedestrians something to stop and stare at for a while. If anywhere in the world needs a bit of a breather and a glimmer of positivity, especially during the pandemic, it’s New York City!
Not only was Shutterfly able to get children involved to make essential workers feel loved and appreciated, but the company was also able to distribute 500 care packages to the workers at Mount Sinai and Elmhurst Hospitals. In addition, they were able to collect over $750,000 in donations for people on the frontlines. Way to go, Shutterfly!
