Katy Perry concert supports Colorado flood relief

What began as a video contest to showcase school spirit became an opportunity to aid community healing for a Colorado town affected by the floods.

A contest created by Katy Perry and Good Morning America asked high schools across the nation to submit videos presenting their school spirit to Perry’s song, “Roar.” The high school that produced the winning video would receive a concert on Perry’s birthday, Oct. 25.

Colorado’s Lakewood High School, home of the Tigers, claimed first place with their video: a single-shot tour through the high school lead by lip-syncing students of different clubs and sports teams.

According to Courtney Coddington, the Lakewood student who directed and produced the video, the preparation and process of filming was an overwhelming experience.

“We had one week of planning and one week of rehearsal,” Coddington said. “First week of planning was crazy. I was getting everyone organized and holding meetings and making sure everyone was on the same page.”

Coddington had wanted to do a video of the school prior to the contest announcement, and what was originally about school spirit came to also represent the Lakewood community.

“When the floods were happening, we were already planning a lip-dub,” Coddington said. “We thought, man, this is awful, and we wanted to do something more. And it became the ‘One World One Roar’ campaign.”

T-shirts with the slogan “One World One Roar” were required, along with student I.D. badges, for entry into the early morning concert. Selling for $20 each, the shirts have become quite popular, according to Anna Allen, the assistant principal of Lakewood High School.

“We have people across the nation wanting to buy T-shirts,” Allen said. “We are trademarking ‘One World One Roar.’”

Perry took the stage at 6 a.m. on Oct. 25 at the high school, starting her performance with the contest song, “Roar.” She continued the show with her other songs, “Walking on Air,” “Firework,” “California Girls,” and ended her performance with “Teenage Dream.”

During the show, Lakewood students presented Perry with a three-foot tall birthday cake and a Varsity Letter Jacket.

For Coddington, winning the contest was about more than just a free concert.

“This has changed everything about what I want to do,” Coddington said. “I feel like it’s just a roller coaster of adrenaline and emotion. I never anticipated for this to actually happen.”

“It’s really humbling to see the kids come together, to feel a part of something bigger, which is really cool,” Allen said. “We just want the kids to realize they can do so much in this world.”

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Mary-Lynn Elliott at Marylynn.elliott@colorado.edu, twitter.com/@mayelliott_