How sour it is: Modestan wins date with online star

A young man from Modesto who’s clearly sweet on YouTube star Meredith Foster won a video contest to go to the Sour Patch Kids Prom with her Saturday.

Daniel Espinoza, a 20-year-old studying English at Modesto Junior College, will be flown to the event in Los Angeles and given spending money and car service for the weekend, along with “tons of Sour Patch Kids product and swag,” contest promoters said.

Entrants in the Sour Patch Kids Promposal Contest created videos to “prompose” to Foster or YouTube personalities Andrea Russett and Jack & Jack. The winning videos can be seen at http://sourpatchkids.tumblr.com.

“I stumbled across her (on YouTube) a couple of years ago. I thought she was really pretty, really nice to fans ... a cool girl,” Espinoza said of Foster, who has more than 5 million followers.

This contest isn’t the first time he’s made a video for Foster. Espinoza likes to draw and paint, and in February posted on YouTube a 90-second clip that shows him at a Michaels store buying supplies for a project. He threw in a bit of juggling, too. It turned out to be a valentine message for Foster. She posted a few replies, including, “You are seriously amazing wow I was full on blushing through this whole video. And of course I will be your Valentine Daniel! xo, Mere.”

For his contest-winning entry, Espinoza did a 27-second admittedly “cheesy” video shot in Charles Sharp Park. Accompanied by pal Kody Engelhardt playing an original song on guitar, he promposes with balloons, a bouquet and a Sour Patch pizza. “We wanted a one-take thing. I only threw the pizza one time (you’ll have to watch), but we practiced about four times.”

Espinoza said he wanted to challenge his creativity – and win the date with Foster, of course.

Sour Patch Kids recently launched the second season of “Breaking Out: Prom Edition” to show how some of teens’ favorite YouTubers turn sour prom moments (like the stress of finding a date) into sweet success. The final “Breaking Out: Prom Edition” video to end the series will be filmed during the Sour Patch Kids prom Saturday night.

Espinosa hasn’t been told anything about what Foster will be wearing on their date – that’s part of the “big reveal.” But in speculating, his artistic appreciation of color and his appreciation for Foster become clear.

“Just knowing her style, it will be a spring color like periwinkle or mint. Spring colors are what she likes.” But for his own formal wear, “I kind of just went with black and white in case she goes a different route, like burgundy or dark lavender.”

This story was originally published May 28, 2015 at 12:27 PM with the headline "How sour it is: Modestan wins date with online star."