The name chosen for the mascot was Nino, suggested by Felipe Oliveira, 34, from Minas Gerais. This name means: priceless, worthy of appreciation, cheerful, happy, very lucky, auspicious.
The ring-tailed coati, flock coati or South American coati (Nasua nasua) lives in forested areas in the tropical and subtropical regions of South America, thus being an animal with a high capacity for adaptation. The hat that accompanies the drawing represents the agricultural culture of the Serra Gaúcha region, and is a symbol of grape producers. The scarf around the neck, on the other hand, refers to gaucho culture and takes on a blue color due to its historical representativeness to the deaf community.
The mascot was chosen through a contest aimed at all high school students from the cities of Caxias do Sul, Farroupilha and Flores da Cunha, and to deaf students living in the cities of Bento Gonçalves, Vila Maria, Torres, Vacaria, Canela, São Sebastião do Caí, Nova Prata, Guaporé, Bom Princípio, Antônio Prado and São Marcos. The Mascot Contest Public Notice is available for reading below.
The winner of the competition was Ezequiel Becchi, a 17-year-old student at the São Rafael State High School in Flores da Cunha. The winning mascot design can be found below.
PT