Magnolia Earl, who turned one on May 10, has just won the 10th annual Gerber Baby Photo search and beat out 327,000 contestants.
But that’s not the only thing that makes her special because she’s the first-ever Gerber baby who’s adopted.
According to the announcement, the tot “captured the hearts of the judging panel with her joyful expression, playful smile, and warm, engaging gaze.”
Courtney Earl, Magnolia’s mother, shared with Gerber the story of the toddler’s adoption and her joy at being able to tell their story.
“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!” she said 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.
“Adoption is incredibly special to our family’s story,” the mom from Ross, California, added. “Winning Photo Search is an opportunity to tell Magnolia’s story and shed light on all the beautiful and different ways families are made.”
Magnolia’s two older sisters are Whitney, 12, and Charlotte, 8, who is also adopted. The two older girls just love playing with their baby sister.
“Magnolia has brought so much joy to everyone she meets,” Courtney said. “Her personality is beyond happy and joyful.”
Along with Magnolia’s close-up photo that featured her in pink corduroy overalls with a headwrap and flashing the smile that won the judges over, Gerber captioned it with the announcement: “Hello and congratulations to Magnolia, our 2020 Gerber Spokesbaby! We’re thrilled to welcome you to our growing Gerber family!”
Gerber President and CEO Bill Partyka said that the power of love in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic can be seen in Magnolia’s adoption story.
“At a time when we are yearning for connection and unity, Magnolia and her family remind us of the many things that bring us together: our desire to love and be loved, our need to find belonging, and our recognition that family goes way beyond biology,” he said in the press release.
The family was being interviewed on the Today show when news of Magnolia’s win reached them.
“This is incredible,” said Courtney, who was close to tears. “It means that when people see our families, or if you see a family that doesn’t necessarily match, that you don’t have to question the belonging of anybody in that family.”
“Mommy always says a family is built on love,” Russell Earl, her husband said before adding: “We may all look different, but we’re one family.”
Courtney revealed that they stay in regular contact with Magnolia’s biological parents who were even watching them on the Today show that time.
“We celebrate adoption in our family every single day,” Courtney said. “The real hero in this story is Magnolia’s birth parents. They chose her life, and they sent her on this incredible journey.”
Courtney said that she had informed Magnolia’s birth parents on May 7 that the toddler was a finalist in the Gerbert contest.
“If you could hear the joy in their voice of how proud they are of this little girl,” Courtney said, as she struggled to hold back tears. “Together with them and our community and our family, we all this love this baby girl so much.”
“She brings so much joy and happiness to everybody,” she added.
As the official Gerber baby, Magnolia will appear on Gerber’s social media channels and be the face of the company’s marketing campaigns for the next year.
Other prizes include a $25,000 cash prize, $1,000 from Gerber Childrenswear, $1,000 from Walmart, and cellphones that feature a year of unlimited free service from Verizon.
Gerber’s first photo contest was held in 1928. Ann Turner Cook was the winner of that contest and became the face of the brand until 2010. Ann is now 93 years old.
In a drive to include diversity in its campaign, the company launched the annual Photo Baby Search in 2010. In 2019, Kairi Yang became the first Gerber baby of Hmong descent. In 2018, Lucas Warren became the first Gerber baby with Down syndrome.
Replaced!