Texas Border Business
Donna & Brownsville – A child attending school in Donna and another from Brownsville were surprised on April Fool’s Day when they learned that they had won week-long vacations for their families this summer. This was no April Fool’s joke!
One will vacation at Isla Grand Beach Resort and the other at Holiday Inn Resort Beachfront South Padre Island. During the first half of the school year, Valley children entered the RGV Children’s Arts Festival by answering and illustrating questions from the Gospel of John for an online storybook Bible that author and columnist Carey Kinsolving is writing.
Without any warning to the winner, Daniel Salazar (manager of Isla Grand Beach Resort) walked into a classroom at Macedonian Christian Academy in Donna and announced to 10-year-old Daniela Flores that Isla Grand was going to be her family’s home for one week this summer.
In addition to enjoying a week’s vacation at Isla Grand, Flores received $600 in Grand Bucks to spend at Isla Grand restaurants and snack bars. Classmates of Flores might be joining her at Isla Grand eateries as each received $50 of Grand Bucks from Salazar.
“I’m really surprised that it was me,” said Flores. “I don’t know what to say. It’s all very shocking.”
Flores had answered and illustrated three questions from the Gospel of John. “Why do some Christians love people’s approval more than God’s approval?” was one of the arts festival questions Flores answered. “Some people believe in God, but they love people’s approval more because they don’t want people to think bad of them,” wrote Flores.
In Brownsville, Chloe Salazar, 8, was home doing schoolwork when Nick Tipton, representing festival sponsor Tipton Ford, came knocking on her door with KVEO TV reporter Gaby Moreno ready to capture her reaction on video. Tipton told Salazar that she had won a week’s vacation at Holiday Inn Resort Beachfront South Padre Island.
Chloe had answered and illustrated the question, “Why did Jesus ride a donkey into Jerusalem?” Her answer: “Jesus wasn’t like other kings of this world. I also think he chose a donkey because they represent kindness, holiness and peace.”
When asked if she thought she’d win, Chloe said, “Pretty much, cause I did all my hard work on this.”
To view all 20 finalists’ work, visit https://kidstalkaboutgod.org/childrens-art/rgv/finals2021.
The RGV Children’s Arts Festival is open to all Valley children ages 5-12. Kinsolving plans to launch the next online arts festival this fall, which will run through the middle of December. For details, please visit KidsTalkAboutGod.org.
