A 19-month-old Montgomery County girl has advanced to the semifinals of the national Baby of the Year competition, with her family hoping to bring the title home to Montgomery County.
Arev Meliksetyan, whose mother, Suzie Meliksetyan, runs Health Pack Meals/Culture Kitchen in the Kentlands, has been participating in the competition since August. After advancing through several rounds, Arev recently reached the finals of her group of 40 children and has now moved on to the semifinal round, with one additional round remaining before a winner is selected.
According to Suzie, the competition has generated significant support from Culture Kitchen customers, friends, neighbors, and others in the community who have voted for Arev and made donations throughout the competition.
Suzie describes Arev as a happy and playful toddler who loves music and dancing, kicking a ball around with her mom, playing with water, watching Russian cartoons, and helping her grandmother clean. She is also fascinated by airplanes and waves whenever she sees one overhead. At bedtime, she waves goodnight to the stars and moon.
The Baby of the Year competition benefits Baby2Baby, a nonprofit organization that provides children living in poverty with diapers, clothing, and other basic necessities. The winning child will receive $25,000 and be featured in a Variety Magazine advertorial. Suzie said that if Arev wins, she plans to save and invest the prize money toward her daughter’s future education.
“Between raising Arev on my own and running a family business, life can get pretty hectic, but seeing our customers, friends, neighbors, and even complete strangers show up for her, vote every day, and donate thousands of dollars has honestly been so heartwarming,” Suzie said.
Arev’s family is encouraging members of the Montgomery County community to continue supporting her as she competes for a spot in the final round.
