Ending COVID — one sticker at a time

When Rowan Clancy, 8, received exciting news from her mother in the last week of March, she jumped for joy in the living room of her Seaford home. She had just been told   that she was one of nine New York state winners of Gov. Hochul’s vaccine sticker contest campaign to increase vaccination rates among children five and older. 

The contest began in November, and her mother received the notification via email, stating that Rowan was one of nine children selected to have their “I’m Vaccinated” stickers displayed throughout New York. 

A fifth-grade Seaford Manor Elementary School student, Rowan uploaded her submission through Twitter under the hashtag, “#VaxForKids,” tagging Hochul for the sticker contest amongst children ages 5 to 11. Her design is an angry salmon-colored coronavirus injected with a syringe labeled “Hope.” 

Hochul took to social media to announce the winners of the contest, and new stations aired the winners. 

“COVID has been spreading a lot and we hope COVID will get better,” said Rowan. 

Rowan was motivated to enter her design by her mother, Laura Moakley, 43, and brother, Rory Clancy, 8. The girl noticed her autistic brother’s discomfort while receiving the COVID booster shot and watched as only a sticker could calm him down. 

Picking up her mobile device, she decided to draw her own design for a sticker using the ibis Paint X app. Using suggestions from mom, Rowan blended vibrant colors together to make her artwork pop.

“I just started to draw and it just came to me,” Rowan said. “I think kids will be happy to get stickers.”

Rowan said she hopes her design will encourage young children to get vaccinated and also make the experience a little more comforting. She also recalled when her family first got COVID in March 2020, which was another motivation for entering the design contest. 

“When the vaccine came out, it was a no-brainer for us,” said Moakley.

As a high school level art teacher, Moakley assisted her daughter with her design. Taking the art teacher’s perspective of “don’t touch the work,” Moakley said she adopted a more hands-off approach in assisting her daughter. 

A Long Island community member since birth, Moakley grew up in Wantagh and moved to Seaford in 2009. Moakley recalled how she had to watch family members and community members face the challenges after contracting COVID, motivating her and her family to receive the vaccine.

“Kids have a voice too,” said Moakley. “In a way, they have thoughts and feelings about COVID and through their drawings and their writing, they can communicate their needs on how they feel about it. That’s why I like the idea of the contest, because you’re asking a child’s perspective on it and the child is helping other kids feel comfortable about getting the vaccine. It’s by a child for a child.”

The stickers will be distributed by Hochul’s office to certain vaccine distribution centers and are also available to download to print at home for anyone who would like to have the stickers. 

For more information regarding #VaxForKids, go to the Vax For Kids website.