Gerber has officially announced the newest addition to its adorable family of spokesbabies: one-year-old Magnolia Earl!
According to TODAY , this little cutie from California officially made history on Friday after becoming the first adopted tot to ever be named the Gerber Baby. She follows in the groundbreaking footsteps of past winners, including 2019’s Lucas, the first Gerber Baby with Down syndrome .
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Magnolia was picked out of 327,000 entries submitted to the Gerber company’s 10th annual Photo Search contest.
As the winner, Magnolia was named 2020’s Gerber Spokesbaby, a campaign which goes all the way back to 1928 with the first-ever Gerber Baby, Ann Turner Cook .
According to a press release from the company, Magnolia was picked because she “captured the hearts of the judging panel with her joyful expression, playful smile and warm, engaging gaze.”
Magnolia’s parents, Courtney and Russell Earl, welcomed her into their family a year ago after receiving a life-changing phone call.
“On May 9th, 2019 we received a call from the Adoption Agency that there was an expectant mom that was in labor and wanted to talk to us,” Courtney shared in the press release . “We pulled off the highway, got a chance to connect with her amazing birth parents, and a few hours later, this sweet baby girl was born.”
Magnolia has two older sisters, Whitney, 12, and Charlotte, 8, who are also adopted.
Courtney says the family is still in contact with Magnolia’s biological parents.
“We celebrate adoption in our family every single day,” she told TODAY . “The real hero in this story are Magnolia’s birth parents. They chose her life, and they sent her on this incredible journey.”
She added that Magnolia’s biological parents were understandably emotional and incredibly proud on Thursday when Courtney and Russell told them Magnolia was a finalist in the contest. Just wait until they find out she won!
Since 2011, Gerber has used its annual Photo Search contest to find a new spokesbaby every year.
“At Gerber, we have always recognized that every baby is a Gerber baby,” the company said in a statement to TODAY . “In the 10 years we have hosted Photo Search, we have been proud to feature babies of diverse backgrounds. This year is no exception by featuring Magnolia, our first adopted Gerber Spokesbaby.”
As this year’s Gerber Baby, Magnolia will be featured on the company’s social media channels and in marketing campaigns for next year’s contest. Her family will also receive a $25,000 prize and will be given $1,000 by Gerber Childrenswear, $1,000 from Walmart, and cell phones with one year of unlimited free service from Verizon.
Way to go, Magnolia!
