6-year-old P.E.I. boy reminds people 'grumpy' over COVID-19 to smile

Six-year-old entrepreneur Clem Campbell of Brudenell, P.E.I., has come up with a way to help people smile, even if their face is covered by a mask.

Clem is making and selling bright yellow smiley-face pins, with proceeds going to a special cause. 

"They're called smile reminders," he said. "People have been grumpy so long with this COVID, so we're just going to give it to make them happy.

"It's working, I think." 

Clem said finding a reason to smile can be a bit harder during the pandemic, especially if they are wearing masks.

"I just decided to get people to be happy," he said. 

'Super-considerate little boy'

The pins are $2 each, he said, and he has sold about 200 of them. 

He is donating some of the proceeds to fight cancer, because someone in his family has been sick with cancer. 

"He just randomly came one day and just said he wanted to start a business," said his mom, Lindsay Steele. "He wanted something he could do to make people happy." 

Clem came up with the idea for the pins and the family went from there. 

"He's a super-considerate little boy. He's always worried about everybody else and wants other people to be happy," Steele said. 

She said she didn't think the pins would become a hot commodity beyond their close family and friends, but is pleased the pins are making people happy. 

"We didn't really figure it would get this big," she said. 

The project even got some political attention this week, when P.E.I. Premier Dennis King said he was buying several buttons for his colleagues and invited Clem to a pizza lunch in the premier's office Friday. 

People who want to order buttons can message her on Facebook, Steele added. 

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