Gerber Announces Baby Akil "Sonny" of Arizona as 2024 Photo Search Winner

USA - English

• USA - español

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 14^th 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 now has more than 80 products certified by Clean Label Project, the most of any baby food brand. 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. 

SOURCE Gerber