Gerber has announced the winner of its 2024 photo search, and the 2024 Gerber Baby, Akil McLeod Jr., whose nickname is Sonny, has "a bright smile, joyful personality and sunny disposition," according to his parents.
Sonny celebrated his first birthday on June 20. He and his family — including his parents, Dominque McLeod and Akil McLeod Sr., and older sister, Sage — live in Arizona. Though Sonny's nickname matches his "sunny disposition," his nickname was actually chosen while his mom was pregnant with him.
Dominque wanted a nickname for her son because he shares a name with his dad. There was one moment where she was inside but sunlight peeked through the window and shone onto her belly, according to a news release from Gerber.
"That’s my little sunny boy!" she thought at the time. "Sonny" seemed like the perfect nickname for her child after that.
In an exclusive interview with Today, Dominque, who currently works as a stay-at-home parent, explained how the photo she submitted to Gerber's photo search reflects his personality and matches his nickname.
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"The photo we submitted was one where he’s in his little playpen and there’s a little sun behind him," she told the outlet. It seemed "perfect," especially because "he was also really starting to smile a lot for the camera around that time."
Even though the photo seemed perfect, Dominque didn't think Sonny would win the contest, simply because there are so many entries, she explained to Today.
In fact, she didn't tell anyone — not even Sonny's dad — that she had entered the contest.
Sonny loves eating food and playing with this big sister. He also has several favorite toys, including toy cars, a squishy ABC book, and the toy pots and pans that he can play with while his mom is cooking, notes the news release from Gerber.
"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," Sonny's parents said in a statement, per People.
"He's a light in our lives and brings joy to everyone around him," the statement continued.
For 2024, parents of previous Gerber Babies worked alongside Gerber employees to select the winner of the Gerber Photo Search. The parents of Madison "Maddie" Mendoza (2023 Gerber Baby) and Isa Slish (2022 Gerber Baby) were among the parents on the selection panel.
When Sonny's parents first met, they bonded over their involvement in their community and frequently volunteered together. According to Gerber, they aspire to raise their kids to value their community as well.
"They are raising Sonny and Sage to demonstrate kindness, respect others, be resilient and lead by example," the news release from Gerber stated.
