North Carolina girl named 2019 Gerber baby

HICKORY, N.C. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - There's a brand new Gerber baby, and she's from North Carolina.

Tuesday, Gerber announced the winner of 2019's Photo Search. Out of a record-breaking 544,000 entries on Instagram, the judges chose 1-year-old Kairi Yang from Hickory, North Carolina to be the face of Gerber for the year.

In a press release, Gerber says the judges were intrigued by Kairi's "delicate expression and the look of wonder in her eyes."

"As soon as we saw her photo, we fell in love with Kairi's expressive eyes and angelic face, looking toward the future and being excited for all that it holds," said President and CEO of Gerber Bill Partyka. "We believe that every baby is a Gerber baby, and this year, are thrilled to recognize Kairi as the new face of Gerber."

As the new face of Gerber for 2019, Kairi will be featured on the brand's social media. Her family will also receive $50,000.

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"When we first found out Kairi won, we were speechless and couldn't believe it," Kairi's mom, Ying Vue, said. "Kairi's personality is larger than life, and she always maintains a spunky attitude. We hope Kairi's one-of-a-kind, entertaining personality, and vibrant facial expressions radiate positivity around the world, just like she does in our home every single day!"

Last year, 18-month-old Lucas Warren from Dalton, Georgia was selected to be the face of Gerber. Warren, who was the first winner of the Gerber Baby Photo Search to have Down syndrome, charmed the world with his winning smile.

This year, Gerber invited little Lucas to be an "honorary judge" of the competition.

FOX 5 reported this story from Atlanta.