Paolo Gallina, the Liberal MLA for Porter Creek Centre, is celebrating positive ideas and goodwill in the community by recognizing children’s artwork and highlighting community members in his new Gratitude Campaign this year.

Last month, Gallina called on children 12 and under to submit “a fun, colourful drawing of something they are thankful for.”

Five grand winners were recently selected from more than 50 pieces of handiwork.

Each winner will receive an art pack, a donation of $30 to the charity of his or her choice, and 25 blank cards featuring their designs.

Gallina will also be displaying the winning artwork on bus bench advertisements, social media posts and in greeting cards thanking Porter Creek Centre residents for their sacrifices during the pandemic.

Stella Marie Burns, 10, of Whitehorse, is one of the five winners.

Her piece depicts a swing set scene, complete with a vibrant sun and sprouting flowers.

She writes she is “thankful for her friends and the time she gets to spend with them at school.”

Gallina will be stopping in to Jack Hulland and Holy Family elementary schools to speak with students further about the value in practising gratitude on a daily basis.

He will also be using social media in the coming weeks to recognize people and businesses in the community for being kind and staying safe since the eruption of COVID-19 early last year.

“Now, more than ever, it’s important to focus on what we are grateful for and to encourage our children to think about what they are thankful for,” he said Tuesday.

“Our children need to be our champions during these challenging times and they need to feel they have a role to play.

“In turn, we need to listen to them about what is going on in their world right now. This campaign has been a delight, and it really helps reinforce the importance and the impacts of the decisions I’m a part of when it comes to people-centred health and wellness in Yukon.”