For the first time ever, parents of previous
Gerber Babies joined the selection panel and were captivated by
Sonny's bright smile and sunny disposition
ARLINGTON,
Va., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Early
childhood nutrition leader Gerber has officially
announced the winner of the 14th annual Photo
Search and the 2024 Gerber Baby. Akil
McLeod, affectionately known as Sonny, along with his loving
family, captured the attention of the selection committee with a
captivating photo and story of the joyful energy he brings to his
family.
Sonny recently celebrated his first birthday and
resides in Arizona with his
parents, Dominque and Akil McLeod
Sr., and big sister, Sage. Sonny loves reading his squishy
ABC book, playing with his toy cars and watching football with his
family. He can't help but giggle when people make silly faces at
him or when he plays Peekaboo with his sister. As part of his
tenure as the 2024 Gerber Baby, Sonny will work with Gerber to
support in its mission to help babies everywhere continue to grow
with love.
"Every day it's an honor to watch Sonny conquer
so many tiny achievements, from giggles, to trying new foods, to
standing up and everything in between. He's a light in our lives
and brings joy to everyone around him," said Dominque, Sonny's mom.
"We couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate his first
birthday than to be chosen as the 2024 Gerber Baby. We look forward
to all the adventures in the year ahead collaborating with Gerber
to share his sweet smile with families across the country."
Passionate about community service, Sonny's
family donates time and energy to supporting community
organizations. This innate passion for giving back continues to
motivate Dominque and Akil Sr. to raise Sonny and Sage to
demonstrate kindness, respect others, be resilient, and lead by
example.
"After 14 incredible years of Photo Search, this
year, we are grateful our former Gerber Baby families could join us
in selecting Sonny as our 2024 Gerber Baby. Sonny immediately
captured our hearts with his joyful smile and his family's
heartwarming demonstration of what it means to grow with love,"
said Chandra Kumar, President of
Nestlé Nutrition. "Inspired by the tens of thousands of photos
submitted each year, Gerber Photo Search offers us a unique
opportunity to connect with the families of today and reinforces
the importance of our mission to help babies grow up healthy and
happy."
This year, for the first time ever, parents of
previous Gerber Babies joined the selection panel alongside a
diverse panel of Gerber employees. The families – including those
of Zane, Kairi, Isa, Magnolia, Lucas, Riley, Tate, Levi, Paxton,
Isla and the 2023 Gerber Baby, Maddie – each brought their unique
perspective to the selection process and collaborated with Gerber
to help choose Sonny as the 2024 Gerber Baby.
In addition to selecting Sonny as the 2024 Gerber
Baby, Gerber is celebrating more babies than ever before by
announcing 10 additional babies as winners of Inchstone moments to
be announced on Gerber social channels. Inchstones will be awarded
for how submission photos captured the many moments, big and small,
that make a baby's first years so special.
Launched more than a decade ago, Photo Search was
inspired by countless photos sent by parents who see their little
one in Gerber's iconic baby logo. As this year's Photo Search
winner, Sonny will serve as the 2024 Gerber Baby and be featured on
Gerber's social media channels and marketing campaigns throughout
the year. Additionally, Sonny and his family have been awarded a
$25,000 cash prize, free Gerber
products for up to one year, a new wardrobe provided by Gerber
Childrenswear, as well as prizes from Brooklinen, Canon, UPPABaby,
Little Tikes, Motherhood Maternity, and ezpz! Gerber will also
match Sonny's cash prize with a donation to support March
of Dimes' maternal and infant health programs.
Follow the conversation on Gerber social channels
to see more about Sonny and his family and for more information on
our first-ever Inchstone winners! To learn more,
visit gerber.com.
ABOUT GERBER
Gerber Products Company was founded in 1927 in Fremont,
Mich. Gerber joined the Nestlé family on September 1,
2007. Gerber is a leader in early childhood nutrition. At Gerber,
research informs everything we do – from the products we make, the
nutrition education we deliver and the services we offer. We
carefully craft all of our recipes to exceed your high standards
and to help your family thrive. Gerber's network of nutrition
experts, dietitians, and scientists come together to design every
product and ensure every detail is refined before beginning to
grow, source and make products to meet our quality standards and
exceed consumer expectations. Gerber provides resources from the
Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) for health care
professionals at Medical.Gerber.com/FITS and for parents at
Gerber.com.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gerber-announces-baby-akil-sonny-of-arizona-as-2024-photo-search-winner-302181286.html
SOURCE Gerber