HANCOCK COUNTY — Dressed in a light blue and white, handmade crochet dress and a brown-haired wig, Leia Caruthers had a basket in one hand and a little dog on a leash in the other hand. She was the spitting image of Dorothy, from the famous movie, “The Wizard of Oz.”
Leia, from McCordsville, was one of 38 different local youngsters who took part in the Hancock County 4-H Annual Baby Contest Saturday morning in the Pioneer building. The event is sponsored by Hancock Regional Hospital and CGS Services.
From the biggest eyes, to the best costume, to the curliest hair and the happiest baby, area youngsters along with family and friends smiled, laughed and were filled with pride during the event.
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Vickie Ramsey, event organizer, along with the help of event judges Sheriff Brad Burkhart, Lais McCartney and Margie Clark, made sure the contest was fun for all the families who participated and watched.
“It’s always very popular because it’s something for the little kids to do,” Ramsey said.
The contest gets bigger and better each year, Ramsey said, thanks to parents coming up with creative and fun ways to introduce the county’s youngest residents to the fair.
Burkhart, who grew up going to and taking part in the Hancock County 4-H Fair, said he enjoys the community interaction and watching the parents who seem to have just as much fun as the children do.
He also judged the event last year and said it was a blast seeing the costumes the parents come up with.
“I remember last year, when I saw this little guy walk on the stage, I thought, ‘there’s a winner,’” Burkhart said. “He was all dressed up and looked like a little Army guy.”
Tori Brown, Greenfield, brought her 12 month old daughter Hadli Brown to the event to take part in the Most Hair portion of the show for children six to 12 months old.
“We entered it with her big brother a few years ago and found out it’s just so much fun,” Tori Brown said.
Little Hadli, complete with a tiny ponytail on the top of her head, was selected as the baby with the most hair in her age division.
Hudson Morrell, Greenfield, was too young to even know what events he was competing in, but he smiled every time anyone looked at him. His mother Alison Morrell entered him into the Happiest Baby and Most Hair portions for children ages birth to five months.
While Hudson, the youngest of five in the family, was the first in his family to compete in the Baby Contest, he didn’t take home a top place finish. Still, he was still all smiles when he and his mom walked off the stage.
“He’s got such a big smile,” his mom said.
That’s one of the things that make the contest fun, organizers said. Whether the babies win or not, most are too young to even know and everyone has a good time.
