Fabulous Frugal Finds

Walmart’s Mom of the Year Award (and info on the amazing mom I nominated)

When I learned about the incredible, and possibly life-changing, program that Walmart has just started here in Canada, I knew that I had to get involved in not only sharing this program with my Canadian readers, but also ensuring that someone dear to me was nominated so I could share with others how amazing and beautiful I think she is.

About the Mom of the Year Award

This year Walmart is launching the Mom of the Year Award to help celebrate and recognize the huge contribution moms make as role models and integral members of the family and community.  This award will become an annual program to celebrate all that Mom does and shine a light on what is important to her.

Nominations will be accepted Mother’s Day (May 13) through July 8, 2012 and can be submitted through www.momoftheyear.ca. They can come from daughters, sons, family members, friends, colleagues or community members.

Eight finalists will be selected and notified in mid-August and will be treated to an award celebration weekend in September. The Mom of the Year Award recipient will receive $10,000 for personal use and $100,000 to their cause or charity of choice. The remaining seven finalists will each receive $10,000 for personal use and $10,000 to their cause or charity of choice.

 

Isn’t that unbelievably awesome?! Here’s what I love about this program right from the start:

1) There’s more than one winner. With so many deserving Canadian moms out there, how do you narrow it down to just one? Mind you, narrowing it down to a total of 1 grand prize winner and 7 finalists will be extremely difficult too, I’m sure. This brings me to my second reason that I love the program;

2) All the moms will be reviewed by a panel of judges who will be responsible for choosing the 8 finalists. The 5 Mom Ambassadors in the selection committee will certainly have a huge task ahead of them. Unlike voting contests, I feel confident that the most deserving moms will win and that’s a huge thing for me.  Kudos to Walmart for the layout of this program!

Now, on to who I  nominated and why.  When thinking about the moms I know and who would be a candidate for this award, my friend Cheryl was the one and only name that came to mind.  While I have said in the past that I surround myself with successful, driven, women – none have the patience, dedication, and humor that my friend Cheryl posses.

Blogging at The Beautiful Side of Hectic, Cheryl has been open about the journey her family has been on since the premature birth of little miss Jillian in 2008.

Born at 30 weeks gestation (weighing 3lbs, 9oz) , it was clear that something was amiss at 6 months when Jillian started missing milestones.

Call it mommy intuition, but Cheryl says she just knew that Jillian needed more help than she was getting in the first year “let’s watch for those milestones and don’t stress too much if they’re missed” health care message (which, arguably is there to keep most of us from freaking out over small things.)  Says Cheryl in this blog post, “She was a happy baby, but part of me KNEW we were dealing with something more than just a stubborn baby.”

Since learning of Jillian’s diagnosis (spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, secondary to periventricular-leuokmalasia – in non-medical jargon, Jillian has Cerebral Palsy that has affected her legs), Cheryl has been sharing the ups (news of new appointments, new tests), the downs (like her post here on learning it was ok to grieve) and the outright celebrations on her blog with friends and strangers alike.

Aside from being her daughter’s biggest cheerleader, Cheryl is a patient and family advocate at Holland Bloorview in Toronto. Cheryl volunteers on several committees there – the electronic health records steering committee, documentation change team, and social media sub-committee. She speaks to new staff on why patient and family centered care is crucial and spearheaded a support group for outpatient parents.

I have known Cheryl for a few years now online and last month I had the opportunity to meet her in person.  Cheryl is just as genuine, funny, and open in person as she is online.

Oh, and you know that part about sharing the outright celebrations?  Take a look at this video taken about a year ago now of Jillian walking all by herself.  Listen for beautiful Jillian saying, “I’m doing it mom!!!”  MY heard swelled for Cheryl at that moment (and every time I’ve watched this video since!

Jillian’s doing it Cheryl.  But Cheryl, you are too.

Check out the Walmart Mom of the Year site and learn more about all the moms nominated. I have my fingers crossed that Cheryl’s name is among the finalists in August!

Disclosure: I’m part of the Walmart program by Mom Central. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own. Mom of the Year Award: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY Internet access and valid email account required. Nominations open May 10, 2012 to July 8, 2012 for legal residents of Canada over the age of majority. Entrants cannot nominate themselves. One (1) grand prize available to be won consisting of $10,000 cash, a $100,000 donation by Wal-mart Canada Corp. to charity/cause and a trip to Toronto (ARV $22,000). Seven (7) runner-up prizes available to be won consisting of $10,000 cash, a $10,000 donation to charity/cause and a trip to Toronto (ARV $22,000). Charity/cause subject to verification and final approval by Wal-mart Canada Corp., at its sole discretion. Odds of winning depend on how the judging panel evaluates each entry according to the criteria. For Official Contest Rules and to nominate an entrant, visit [www.momoftheyear.ca].

21 Comments

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  • Cheryl is the perfect person for this award. She is inspiring in so many ways, but most of all because she is real. She shares the up and the downs. Love Cheryl.

  • What a wonderful woman to nominate for Mom of the Year, Tenille! And that video totally made me cry…in a good way! Thank you so much for sharing Cheryl and Jillian’s story! 🙂

  • I could not think of a better person myself. I hope she wins. I know that money could go a long way withJillian’s needs.

  • I am beyond excited that you have nominated Cheryl – can’t think of a better, more deserving mom. Her tireless advocacy for her children knows no bounds. Her compassion is second to none and I consider myself lucky to count her as a friend.

  • Very beautiful post! A most deserving candidate. There should be one for her daughte too!

  • my mom loves us all. shes teaching all of us to be muture responsable kids so when we are older we know what to do.but shes also caring and responsable and hase the time for all of us. Tyler,Liam,Kassie,Brooklyn and Sam.

  • JUNE 17 2012 AT 12:08 my mom is great i could personaly say that theres more than 2 catrillan words about her she works. tree jobs and stilL
    makes time to hang with her kids ,clean the house and make dinner, lunch and breakfast she has shcooling ,she drives the bus my mom is like a super hero to me and she has walked 60k 4 times just to help womans cancer
    she had so many blisters but she got up and did it the next year and still she works at the sears portricks which i enjoy
    because we get free pictures at christmas we were very low on money at christmas but she made graet deals and got
    like 17 presents for each of us i really like her because she has that really kind smile , she can make any body laugh
    her freinds say i am glad to be her freind even when she doesent now then she will still make a freind i bet she has more than 18 million freinds theres so much i could say i cant believe i didint right this earlier right now is 12:23 i just can’t wait till she gets her new job she said it will bring lots of money she is just so so so so so so
    awesome i dont now any one that deserves it more this great grand prize she is so dang pretty a greart singer and most of all a great huger shes very nice ,freindly and shes amazing i cuold also say she is one very great dirt biker
    she has never raced but she supports me when i race theres more things i could say but i got to go
    ps singened MACYN , aaralyn , JOEL, DANNIEL ,AND BRANT

  • I would give anything to give an award to my mom when ever I was at my worst she was there to give me her best march 22 2012 I lost my mom to copd…I don’t think people really appreciate your mom and what she means I’m blessed I realized when she was still alive and to have her in my life when ever my heart let’s me laugh Ill know its because she loved it when my heart crys its because she’s huging it .so not only this year but every year she may not get an award but I will for haveing such a beautiful example to help me raise my daughter

  • i love my mommy because she is smart,silly and beautful in so many ways! i love you to the galexy and back 1 millon times! words cant say how much i love you
    -Doodle xoxoxoxoxox:)