She loves sweet potato purees and teether wheels, hails from California, and will turn 1 on Saturday. Meet Magnolia, the 2020 Gerber spokesbaby.
Gerber announced Magnolia Earl as the winner of its contest during the “Today” show Friday.
» Meet Lucas: Georgia baby named Gerber's first spokesbaby with Down syndrome
Like 2019 spokesbaby Kairi Yang and 2018 baby Lucas Warren — of Dalton — Magnolia makes history. The company said Magnolia is the first Gerber baby who was adopted.
Parents Courtney and Russell Earl were joined on "Today" by Magnolia and their older daughters, Whitney, 12, and Charlotte, 8, for the sweet surprise Friday.
"This is incredible," Courtney Earl said. "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 said. "We may all look different, but we're one family."
Courtney Earl told “Today” she and her husband remain in contact with Magnolia’s birth parents.
"We celebrate adoption in our family every single day," Courtney Earl said. "The real hero in this story are Magnolia's birth parents. They chose her life, and they sent her on this incredible journey."
She even called Thursday to tell them Magnolia was a finalist in the contest.
"If you could hear the joy in their voice of how proud they are of this little girl," Courtney Earl said. "Together with them and our community and our family, we all love this baby girl so much."
Last year's spokesbaby, Kairi, was the first baby chosen of Hmong descent. And Lucas was the first baby with Down syndrome to represent the company. Lucas even met Ann Turner Cook, Gerber's original baby.
"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."
Magnolia will be featured on Gerber's social media channels and marketing campaigns for the next year. Her family also won a $25,000 prize and will be given $1,000 by Gerber Childrenswear, $1,000 from Walmart and phones with a year of unlimited free service from Verizon.
About the Author
