WATCH: These pins promote community and celebrate healthcare heroes

• New pins part of ‘We Applaud’ campaign aimed at community unity, recognizing healthcare heroes
• Project spearheaded by Loyal Wooldridge and Christina Ferreira
• Pins designed by local artist Manuela Koller

Many people have needed the help of healthcare workers recently, and now we have a chance to celebrate everything they represent, thanks to a local pin campaign.

The metallic lapel art depicts a healthcare worker as a superhero with a yellow crown and red star; #WeApplaud is highlighted against a red banner at the bottom.

Coming together to unite community and say thank you is the main message behind the fundraiser.

Manuela Koller, who designed the pin, said those they are honouring have been superheroes throughout the pandemic.

“The colour yellow represents hope, endurance, and strength,” Koller told Kelowna10. “That was always on my mind because of all the healthcare workers that had to go into work and be positive, strong, and have the endurance. That was very important to me in creating this image.”

‘We Applaud’ pins can be purchased online or at partner locations, such as the Tourism Kelowna Visitor Centre and the KGH Gift Shop, with all proceeds going towards a new mental health campaign.

“It’s just a way we can amplify that positivity to healthcare and community healthcare workers, but also raise a little bit of money for the KGH Foundation,” Campaign co-creator and Kelowna City Councillor Loyal Wooldridge said.

“[They’ve] launched the ‘We See You’ campaign, and the first time in their history, this is geared towards mental health programming in our community,” Wooldridge explained.

‘We See You’ aims to raise $1.7 million for mental health care, which will be used in a variety of programs to fund immediate community support, as well as longer term system transformation.

“The funds that we raise from this, and we don’t have a dollar in mind, will be donated to that campaign to support our community and those that are faced with the most intense mental health challenges.”

Local entrepreneur from Impact Events, and campaign co-creator, Christina Ferriera, echoed the support towards the KGH Foundation and all healthcare workers.

“We are shouting ‘We Applaud’ and sending a rallying cry to the community from the rooftops to encourage support for our healthcare professionals across the province,” Ferriera said in a media release.

“By supporting the KGH Foundation, we tip our hats to everyone who continues to show-up every day regardless of what is happening outside hospital walls.”