COLLINGWOOD CHILD’S ANIMAL AMBULANCE IDEA WINS NATIONAL CONTEST

Source: Collingwood Today (Extract)
Posted: June 11, 2022

A passion for all animals and affinity for art helped a five-year-old Collingwood girl win a national contest to create a dream car.

Isabella Irwandi dreamt up a stray animal ambulance, complete with “boost” for speedy emergency transportation.

Isabella said she wanted to design a car that would get sick or injured animals to the animal hospital quickly. In her watercolour and marker creation, she drew herself in a pink dress (her favourite colour) driving the ambulance loaded with a cat, a dog, and a turkey.

Isabella said she added her favourite animals – a bunny, a panda bear, and a cat to the artwork.

Her painting was selected as the Canadian winner for the global 2022 Toyota Dream Car Art Contest. She qualifies now for the world finals of the global design contest.

The contest is held annually, with Toyota inviting kids across Canada and around the world to design a dream car to help make the world a better place.

Irwandi’s mother, Stefanny Hardiman said Isabella really loves animals and cares about them.

“She’s sad when she sees a stray animal on the street,” said Hardiman.

When Isabella grows up, she said she wants to be a vet and an artist.

Her interest in art began at just three years old. Hardiman said the COVID-related lockdowns prompted her to go looking for learning activities for her children. She signed up for an online painting class for Isabella, and said the toddler took well to it.

“I was quite surprised at her fine motor skills,” said Hardiman, noting Isabella is often found in the “creative station” in her kindergarten class.