ST. CROIX — Mehlanee Graham, a young St. Croix contestant in the national Baby of the Year competition, is seeking support from Virgin Islanders at home and abroad as her family works to help her advance toward the 2026 title and its $25,000 grand prize.
According to information provided by her family, Mehlanee has remained in contention as the competition narrowed from an initial field of more than 300,000 entrants to approximately 10,000. Her family is encouraging residents of St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, the British Virgin Islands and the wider Virgin Islands community abroad to support her campaign.
The Baby of the Year competition offers its winner $25,000, a professional photo shoot featured in a Variety magazine advertorial and an appearance in a national advertising campaign involving The Honest Company.
The contest is operated by Colossal Management and determined through public voting. Supporters can cast one free vote every 24 hours after verifying their eligibility through an approved method, including Facebook or text message. Eligible adults may also cast additional votes through donations.
The fundraising component benefits Baby2Baby, a national nonprofit organization that provides diapers, clothing and other essential supplies to children and families in need. Donations are collected through DTCare, which provides grants to Baby2Baby after applicable expenses and fees.
Mehlanee's family is also encouraging businesses, organizations and individuals interested in supporting her campaign to review the competition's official rules for information about donations.
The competition is scheduled to conclude with its final voting round on November 5, with the national winner to be announced by December 5, 2026.
