RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) – With the idea of spreading hope and cheer, more than 50 children and staff members at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR) lip dubbed Katy Perry’s “Roar.” The video gave the children a chance to “show their inner champion,” according to CHoR spokeswoman Shira Pollard.
The video was shot over two days in late November at both the Brook Road and MCV Campus locations, Pollard said. The hospital did a similar video last year to a One Direction song.
“It’s our way of spreading cheer from inside the hospital to those on the outside who do so much for us,” Pollard said. “It’s a gift to our Facebook friends.”
One of the children “singing” in the video had just undergone surgery when her mother heard Perry’s song in the hall.
Knowing her daughter was a fan, the mom asked if her teenager child could participate. Despite not being able to move well, the child appeared in the video and said the happiness it brought helped her recover from surgery.
More than 100 children will be staying at CHoR during the holidays, according to Pollard. The children at the Brook Road location require long-term care, while children at the MCV Campus location are treated for a wide range of conditions, everything from asthma to cancer, car accident victims to children with diabetes and heart problems.
Make sure to check out VCU men’s basketball players Juvonte Reddic, Briante Weber, Treveon Graham, Melvin Johnson, and Jairus Lyles as they join in the fun.