2019 Gerber baby chosen because of wondrous eyes
It was something in her eyes. The Gerber Baby Photo Contest winner for 2019 was announced Tuesday. Kairi Yang’s big, dark peepers made the 15-month-old stand out among 544,000 entries.
“Kairi was chosen because of the wide-eyed curiosity and the look of wonder we saw in her eyes,” Bill Partyka, president and CEO of Gerber, said in a press release. “Her expressiveness in the winning photo reminds us of looking to the future through a child’s eyes and being excited for all that it holds.”
Wow! That’s heavy for such a tiny person.
Kairi was introduced on the “Today” show, which shared she is the first Gerber baby of Hmong descent.
The Hmong (pronounced “mung” in English) are an ethnic group who speak their own language and live in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
Kairi lives with her parents, mother Ying Vue and father Peter Yang, as well as her extended family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, according to “Today.”
“Being surrounded by all her family has been a very positive influence on Kairi’s life, especially when it comes to preserving our culture and tradition,” said Vue, a native of Thailand. “Kairi will grow up knowing how to read and write in Hmong, so that she can speak with her grandparents.”
“Kairi’s positive energy and smile lights up our life,” Vue added. “She has a one-of-a-kind personality.”
Kairi was awarded $50,000 for winning the contest and will be featured on Gerber’s social media channels during the year.
In 2018, Gerber awarded another first when it chose baby Lucas Warren, who has Down syndrome.