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Carlsbad teacher's 'thank you' campaign for first responders goes viral

Messages of gratitude span nation
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CARLSBAD, Calif. (KGTV) - A video of kids from around the country giving thanks to emergency workers during coronavirus has gone viral in a way that its creator never imagined.

"I really think that when given the opportunity, the kids stepped up to the plate," says Sarah Hunter, a teacher at Sage Creek High School.

She saw other people posting pictures of their kids with signs of gratitude and thought her kids could do something similar. It was a way to inject some creative activity into their days at home.

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"They were all in," she says. "My three drew little pictures. They sat down and recorded what they had drawn and gave their little messages."

Before posting that, she asked friends and family on Facebook to do the same with their kids. People from all over the country responded quickly.

"I think I posted it like 9 am, and by noon I got a bunch of people sending me videos," Hunter says.

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She edited it together and was proud to see how the kids found innovative ways to give thanks. In just a few days, the video has more than 300 views.

"It's such a testament that the kids are all right," she says. "They get it. They understand. It's a lot for them to wrap their heads around this whole COVID-19 situation, but they understand that there are people out there working hard to keep us safe and to keep us fed."

In just a few days, Hunter hopes the kids can be an inspiration to others during the pandemic.

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"This is bigger than us. It's about taking care of each other. It's about reaching out and staying connected and ultimately saying thank you," says Hunter. "If we can't express gratitude and just take a moment out of our day to say thank you, then what do we have?"

See the full video below: