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Video: Richmond youth earns top prize in COVID-19 video contest

Metro Vancouver youth asked to describe feelings about pandemic
Erin Salvador
Erin Salvador (left) and her mother received positive from relatives and friends about the video that Erin created for a contest. Photo submitted

A 10-year-old Richmondite has won the top prize in a short video contest hosted by a local charity after sharing her latest song online.

Childlike Faith Academy (CFA), a faith-based organization specializing in theatre arts, put out a call in April to all children throughout Greater Vancouver to create a video to describe their feelings about COVID-19 and how the pandemic is affecting them.

Erin Salvador, a fifth-grade student at Mitchell Elementary School, earned the top place as her song attracted the most “likes” on Facebook within two months.

“There are so many adults who are trying to help during the coronavirus, and kids like me want to express our feelings too,” said Salvador.

“I am so grateful for the prize. When I found out I won, I was jumping around everywhere. I want to thank all our relatives and friends who watch and ‘like’ my video. I wish everyone to stay strong, stay safe, stay healthy and try to stay happy,” said Salvador.

Salvador spent only two days creating the song called “I don’t like the way that this goes.” Later, she added subtitles.

Haydee Salvador, the 10-year-old’s mother, told the Richmond News that her daughter is a “well-rounded” person who is passionate about singing, song writing and playing the piano. But more importantly, her daughter enjoys bringing happiness to people through music.

“Her song also offered me a different perspective on the pandemic. As adults, we might be a bit worried about jobs, safety, and living expenses, but it’s different for children. Their thoughts are very different from us,” said Haydee, noting that the song also boosted her mood.

According to Elizabeth Chau, principal and artistic director of CFA, they received many entries, and it was hard to pick the best ones since each video had its own artistic and creative merit.

The contest aimed to connect with youth who may be going through a myriad of emotions during this strange time and provide them with a platform to express those feelings, as well as show their talent and heart.

The top three winners received visa gift cards, and their work will be displayed on CFA’s Youtube channel.

“I want to use my prize to buy a laptop for school use and to remember this accomplishment every time I use it,” said Salvador.