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Dover AFB youth earns spot in magazine’s ‘Cute Kid’ semi-finals

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Melissa Phillips
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
It took one Dover Air Force Base NCO six months to receive confirmation for something he's known for twenty months - his daughter is officially one adorable child.

In July, Tech. Sgt. John Dewey Carlton III, 436th Medical Operations Squadron NCO in charge of Ambulance Response Team, was notified by Family Magazine that his 20-month-old daughter, Isabelle Rose, was named one of six semi-finalists among 3,000 contenders to win a "Cute Kid" title.

The contest is a great chance for him and his wife Michaelene to add to their daughter's piggy bank.

"We are looking to make her future better than ours was and that means by trying to pay for her to go to college so she can be a shining star," said Sergeant Carlton.

Isabelle's picture is currently featured in the September issue.

In the beginning of the year, military parents had the opportunity to enter their children under six-years-old in the contest. The contest was advertised in Family Magazine, which is a free product distributed at Commissaries and Exchanges around the world to all branches of the service, and on their Web site.

The monthly magazine features coupons, promotions and articles written for military shoppers. Commissary patrons can pick up the magazine around the middle of the month.

The "Cute kid" contest is sponsored by Suave. If Isabella wins the finals, she will receive the first prize of a $1,500 U.S. Savings Bond and the magazine will feature her in an upcoming issue.

The second place winner will receive a $1,000 bond, third place earns a $500 bond and the three runner-ups will get $100 bonds.

"Family Magazine just celebrated its 50th anniversary this August," said Joseph Mugnai, Family Magazine publisher.

"We have been honored to get to know a lot of different military people through the magazine and contests such as this," he said. "We try to go above and beyond just providing the military with a simple coupon program.

"The military is an all-volunteer force and with what is going on in the world today we are happy to work with our advertisers to give back to military members and their families. In a small way, we get to provide a benefit to those back at home."

When the Carlton's found out they qualified as semi-finalists, they got busy.

"Of course, we called her grandparents to tell them," he said. "Then, we began a 'voting drive' to contact all our family and friends to ask them to vote for her."

With light-brown hair and brown eyes, Sergeant Carlton says Isabelle is a happy baby and it shows in pictures.

"She is one of those 'go with the flow' toddlers," he said. "She is good no matter where we take her, whether it is to the movies, out to dinner or to the park."

Some of Isabelle's favorite things to do are playing outside with her big brother JD in the pool or on the trampoline.

This is the second year the magazine ran the contest. The first year approximately 30,000 voters weighed in on the "Cute Kid" finalist. Mr. Mugnai said this year they expect to exceed that number of votes easily.

Voting runs through Sept. 30 and the winners are scheduled to be announced Oct. 10. People can vote for their favorite "Cute Kid' from a home computer at www.familymedia.com/cutekid/index.html. The site is not accessible on Dover AFB's network.

Editor's note: The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the U.S.
Air Force of this Web site or the information, products or services contained therein.