Go Ask Mom's Cutest Baby Contest big news in small town

Alana Stokes, the baby daughter of Sharona and Terence Stokes, made the front page of The Daily Record twice.

Posted 1:16 a.m. Jun 19, 2015 — Updated 1:16 a.m. Jun 19, 2015

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Go Ask Mom's Cutest Baby Contest and one of its adorable contestants were big news in the small town of Lillington.

Alana Stokes, the baby daughter of Sharona and Terence Stokes, made the front page of The Daily Record twice. The Stokes own the County Seat Sports Grille in downtown Lillington and Stokes Bail Bonds.

The contest, sponsored by Midwifery at Women's Health Alliance, ran from Mother's Day to June 12. Parents were invited to submit photos of their children - ages 0 to 24 months - in the photo contest through May 29. Then, for about two weeks, readers could vote once per day for their favorites.

The first Daily Record story, with a photo of Alana giving a bright smile and clutching a string of pearls, covered Alana's entry into the contest, which drew more than 400 entries. The second story covered Alana's second place finish, just about a dozen votes shy of the front runner, little Tanvi Patel.

The couple also used other media to their advantage, spreading the news through various channels including their restaurant's Facebook page. They even raffled off a prime rib dinner for two at their restaurant to people who posted or sent screen shots that they had voted for Alana.

Alana, who has two older sisters, is no a stranger to the spotlight. She also competes in beauty pageants, including the recent Little Miss Teen Miss North Carolina and Southern Elegance Charm of North Carolina, both in Wake County. And she's a fixture at her parent's restaurant where she enjoys interacting with people, her mom tells me.

Congratulations to Alana and all of our winners!

Suggest A Correction