New Gerber baby is the first ever with Down syndrome

Baby food company Gerber has announced the results of its latest photo search. Baby Lucas from Dalton, Georgia, "won the judges over with his glowing and giggly smile and was chosen among more than 140,000 entries," according to a press release from the company.

As the Grand Prize winner, Lucas's family will receive $50,000, and Lucas will be given the coveted title of 2018 Gerber Spokesbaby, CBS Baltimore reports.

"Lucas' winning smile and joyful expression won our hearts this year, and we are all thrilled to name him our 2018 Spokesbaby," said Bill Partyka, president and CEO of Gerber. "Every year, we choose the baby who best exemplifies Gerber's longstanding heritage of recognizing that every baby is a Gerber baby, and this year, Lucas is the perfect fit."

Lucas is the first child with Down syndrome to be chosen to be a Gerber "Spokesbaby."

"This is such a proud moment for us as parents knowing that Lucas has a platform to spread joy, not only to those he interacts with every day, but to people all over the country," said Lucas's mom, Cortney Warren.

"We hope this opportunity sheds light on the special needs community and educates people that with acceptance and support, individuals with special needs have the potential to change the world -- just like our Lucas!"

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