This year's Gerber baby is a very adorable 18-month-old boy from Dalton, Georgia — and the first child with Down syndrome to win the annual contest.

Gerber announced Lucas Warren as the eighth winner of their annual Gerber Baby Photo Search on Wednesday (07FEB2018).  He was chosen from among 140,000 entries. Gerber President and CEO Bill Partyka said in a statement, "Lucas' winning smile and joyful expression won our hearts this year, and we are all thrilled to name him our 2018 Spokesbaby."

Lucas's mother Cortney Warren said, "This is such a proud moment for us as parents knowing that Lucas has a platform to spread joy, not only to those he interacts with every day, but to people all over the country."

"We hope this opportunity sheds light on the special needs community and educates people that with acceptance and support, individuals with special needs have the potential to change the world – just like our Lucas!"

The Warren family will receive $50,000 (USD) along with Lucas's title of 2018 Gerber Spokesbaby and he will be featured on Gerber's social media channels throughout the year.

Gerber, known for its baby food, was founded in 1927 in Fremont, Michigan and is now part of Nestle. Early on the company put out a call looking for a baby to feature in its ads. The winning image is the now-iconic charcoal sketch of Ann Turner Cook - done by a neighbor -  who recently celebrated her 91st birthday.

Cook released this statement: "Let me offer my warmest congratulations to Lucas, our newest Gerber Spokesbaby, and to his parents. I know you will take great pride in representing Gerber this year, as I have for the past 90 years. There is no greater privilege than to be a universal symbol for babies all over the world. I am delighted to take part in this celebration. Lucas is precious, and I look forward to watching him grow this year!"