text: Gerber has found their 2018 Spokesbaby — and he’s breaking the mold. 
   
   After an exhaustive photo search that garnered more than 140,000 entries, 1-year-old Lucas Warren of Dalton, Georgia, has been named this year’s Gerber Baby, it was announced Wednesday on Today. And this year is extra noteworthy: Lucas is the first child with Down syndrome to win the title since the contest began in 2010. 
   
   “We’re hoping this will impact everyone — that it will shed a little bit of light on the special needs community and help more individuals with special needs be accepted and not limited,” said dad Jason Warren. “They have the potential to change the world, just like everybody else.” 
   
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   Mom Cortney Warren shared that she entered the Gerber contest, which has been held online for the past eight years, without much thought, tagging an adorable photo of Lucas showing off his smile while donning a mint green shirt and bow tie. That happy face completely reflects Lucas’ personality. 
   
   “He’s very outgoing and never meets a stranger,” Cortney told Today Parents. “He loves to play, loves to laugh and loves to make other people laugh.” 
   
   CEO and president of Gerber Bill Partyka said Lucas’ contagious smile won over the team. “Every year, we choose the baby who best exemplifies Gerber’s longstanding heritage of recognizing that every baby is a Gerber baby,” he explained. “This year, Lucas is the perfect fit.” 
   
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   Aside from scoring the coveted Gerber Baby title, the Warrens were awarded a $50,000 cash prize, which they say will go toward Lucas’ education, and the baby’s year will also be documented on Gerber’s social media platforms. 
   
   “He may have Down syndrome, but he’s always Lucas first,” said Cortney. “He’s got an awesome personality and he goes through the milestones of every child … we’re hoping when he grows up and looks back on this, he’ll be proud of himself and not ashamed of his disability.” ||||| Get the latest from TODAY Sign up for our newsletter 
   
   / Updated / Source: TODAY Contributor 
   
   The 2018 Gerber baby is Lucas Warren, a 1-year-old from Dalton, Georgia who is the first child with Down syndrome to be named a Gerber baby since the contest's start in 2010. 
   
   "He's very outgoing and never meets a stranger," Lucas's mom, Cortney, told TODAY Parents. "He loves to play, loves to laugh and loves to make other people laugh." 
   
   The winning photo of Lucas, submitted by his mom, Cortney Warren, to the Gerber Spokesbaby contest. Gerber/Cortney Warren 
   
   Cortney Warren said she entered the Gerber contest on a whim, after a relative pointed out an ad seeking submissions. After posting a photo of Lucas on Instagram using the contest's hashtag, Cortney and her husband, Jason, received the news that their son had been chosen from more than 140,000 entries to be the 2018 Gerber Spokesbaby. 
   
   Bill Partyka, CEO and president of Gerber, says Lucas's smile and happy expression captured the hearts of the Gerber team. 
   
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   "Every year, we choose the baby who best exemplifies Gerber's longstanding heritage of recognizing that every baby is a Gerber baby," said Partyka. "This year, Lucas is the perfect fit." 
   
   "We're hoping this will impact everyone — that it will shed a little bit of light on the special needs community and help more individuals with special needs be accepted and not limited," dad Jason Warren said. "They have the potential to change the world, just like everybody else." 
   
   Lucas, 1, with his parents, Cortney and Jason Warren. Gerber/Cortney Warren 
   
   Katie Driscoll is founder and president of Changing the Face of Beauty, a non-profit organization committed to advocating for equal representation of people with disabilities in adverting and media. Driscoll says brands like Gerber have the power to change the future of the disability community by valuing the minority as a consumer in their advertising. 
   
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   "We believe if brands represent children with a disability, they are communicating their value to our society," said Driscoll. "Moves like this move us closer to a more inclusive world." 
   
   "He may have Down syndrome," said Cortney Warren of her son, "but he's always Lucas first." Gerber/Cortney Warren 
   
   Cortney says she hopes her son will be seen not only as a baby with Down syndrome, but also as a funny, energetic child who loves music and socializing. 
   
   "He may have Down syndrome, but he's always Lucas first," said Cortney. "He's got an awesome personality and he goes through the milestones of every child... we're hoping when he grows up and looks back on this, he'll be proud of himself and not ashamed of his disability." 
   
   This story was originally published in February 2018.
target: – The new face of Gerber represents a milestone. The company has picked 1-year-old Lucas Warren of Dalton, Georgia, as this year's Gerber Baby—and Lucas is the first child with Down Syndrome selected for the honor, reports People. "He never meets a stranger," says mom Cortney, who tells Today.com that she entered the contest without giving it too much thought. Gerber then chose Lucas out of about 140,000 submissions, calling him a "perfect fit." Dad Jason says he hopes the this "will shed a little bit of light on the special needs community and help more individuals with special needs be accepted and not limited."