To the Editor:

Newtown’s Beautiful Baby contest has got to be the most fun and rewarding volunteer work I have ever done. The children are all so adorable, and what a wonderful national non-profit Homes For Our Troops is to donate my time to. I cannot think of a more deserving charity than one which builds handicap houses for our military who are returning with life-altering injuries.

If you saw the Beautiful Baby Photo Contest winner, Silas Catlin, in the Mercedes of Danbury convertible during the Newtown Labor Day Parade and would like to enter a child (newborn – four years) in next year’s contest, please email me for instructions about when and how to send in a photo and the ten-dollar entry fee: babycontest2010@gmail.com or you may call me at 203 270-8017. One hundred percent of next year’s contest proceeds will be donated to an Army Ranger’s house being built right here in Connecticut for Sean Pesce, who was shot 13 times in Afghanistan, and sadly, is now paralyzed.

There are so many who have helped me with my contest, and whom I could not do it without. Those that let me display the voting booth are The Newtown’s Lion’s Club, The Sandy Hook Fire House, The Toy Tree, and Stop and Shop Supermarket.

Thank you Mercedes of Danbury for sending me a chauffeur-driven convertible for the Parade every year as the best Grand Prize I can think of.

For all the businesses who donated prizes for top two babies’ prize baskets – Ricci’s Hair Salon, Hero for Men Barbering, The Bruce Museum of Art and Science, Things Remembered, Black Angus Grill, Chase Bank, Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Big Y Supermarket, Caraluzzi’s Supermarket, the Adam Broderick Hair Salon and Spa, Luke’s Toy Factory of Made in America Toys, and The New Britain Museum of American Art.

Thanks to the Picture People for providing me with a free portrait group session with some of the past winners, and to Kohl’s and Penny’s Lifetouch Studio for providing every single child entered, and their siblings, with prizes.

A big tip of the hat to the wonderful Newtown Labor Day Parade Committee for another great event and for allowing me to participate. We all had a wonderful time being part of it.

A very special thank you to all the parents and grandparents who sent in all those precious photos, and to everyone who voted and helped me have a successful fundraiser. You are Beautiful and all Winners!

Last, but not least, I cannot thank enough all of our young volunteer veterans who keep our country safe at great danger to themselves. I will continue to do everything in my power to help if you should become wounded while defending our country.

Lois Barber

33 Zoar Road, Sandy Hook                         September 8, 2015