On May 12th, Marcella Lee, weekend anchor for CBS 8, and I co-emceed San Diego’s 50 Best Moms Awards yearly luncheon held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in La Jolla, California. This is the eleventh year Time Warner Cable has hosted this community program celebrating exceptional mothers.
Photo courtesy of Time Warner Cable
This year’s contest was based on essay and, for the first time, also included video submissions from approximately 2,000 elementary, middle school and high school students from San Diego county. In their essays or videos, children from 4th to 12th grade explain why their mother deserves the honor of Best Mom.
Winning moms are selected by a panel of volunteer judges which consists of local print and television journalists like Jodi Kodesh of NBC 7/39, Tom Jordan of KUSI and Nichelle Medina with KFMB among others. Elected officials such as San Diego Council Member Marti Emerald, Solana Beach Council Member Dave Roberts and U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer District Director Caridad Sanchez, along with yours truly, donate their time to read essays. As you might know, I have had the priviladge of being involved with this community program since 2006, the year I was awarded with the incredible honor of Best Mom.
Popchips’ Jenn Goodrum, Suzette Valle, Time Warner Cable’s Pam Pantua, CBS 8 Marcella Lee and Jodi Kodish of NBC 7/39. Photo courtesy of J. Kodesh
Each essay is read and scored based on specific guidelines provided by Time Warner Cable and Community Outreach Director, Pam Pantua. And, this year’s winners were nothing short of inspirational!
Applause and cheers greeted announcements of several breast cancer survivors as they walked the red carpet onto the stage to accept their awards. A wheelchair-bound mother who, after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis took up playing wheelchair basketball , was later also diagnosed with breast cancer. But, she hasn’t let these setbacks keep her from doing what she loves best: being a mother to her son. The applause and tears of admiration for her were abundant as she wheeled herself to the stage to accept her award.
Other winners included moms who home-school their children, professionals, military mothers, and mothers who have adopted multiple children. They make the job of mother seem as easy as baking a pie. (Have you tried baking a pie? It’s not as easy as it looks!)
Each winning mom is awarded gift bag filled with items from sponsors like HBO, Popchips, UltraStar Cinemas, The Microsoft Store, Mission Federal Credit Union, San Diego Repertory Theater, Spa Gregory, and more. The Carlsbad-based company, Popchips, also donates lunch for the entire class for one randomly-selected child in each grade level.
Three grand prize winners, also one from each grade level, are also selected as the best essays or videos and receive a Sony Tablet. Each winning student’s teacher also gets a $250 gift card to use to purchase classroom supplies.
Grand prize winners of Time Warner Cable’s 50 Best Moms essay and video contest. Photo by Time Warner Cable
Click the link to see this year’s complete list of winners and sponsors, as well as read excerpts of the winning essays!
[…] As a past 50 Best Moms winner (2006), I have had the distinct honor of participating over the last 10 years as a judge and emcee for this heartwarming event. […]