Will the 'Baby of the Year' hail from Mahopac?

Whether or not he's fully aware of it, little Landon Lawrenson is in very elite company.

The 8-month-old Mahopac resident has earned a place in the Baby of the Year quarterfinals, and if he gains enough votes before 10 p.m. on Oct. 22, he could be headed to the semifinals later this month and even be crowned champion.

According to the contest website, the competition is designed to find “one baby [who] will appear in a national ad campaign with The Honest Company, win $25,000, and be celebrated in the pages of Variety Magazine.”

Now in its third year, the national contest was launched in 2024 by Colossal, a professional fundraising organization, and benefits Baby2Baby, a nonprofit that provides essentials such as diapers, clothing and food to children in need. Actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba has been an ambassador for the competition since its inception.

Landon's mom Erika Lawrenson said the family has been blown away by the support he's received so far, noting that he won a group round to make it to the quarterfinals, “which places him in the top 1% of participants.”

“We originally applied as a fun way to engage with our family and friends, but it has turned into something greater,” Erika added. “We’ve learned that our support network is much bigger than we knew and we couldn’t be more appreciative of how many people are excited to champion Landon.”

And while Landon may be making a fuss in the contest, he's anything but a fussy baby.

"He is so cheerful and fun," Erika said. "He’s curious and always wants to follow his older brother, Wyatt (age 7), around. He enjoys snuggles and trying new foods."

Erika, who works in compliance for an academic institution, and her husband, John, a detective in NYC, never envisioned taking part in such a contest, let alone getting to the quarterfinals.

"We never expected him to make it this far and we’re excited to see how he progresses!" Erika said. "We’re an average family who moved to Mahopac three years ago and have enjoyed immersing ourselves in the community."

Now she's hoping her hometown will step up.

“The public can vote once every 24 hours with a free vote by text or Facebook, and they can also purchase additional votes that support Baby2Baby, a nonprofit organization that provides essentials to children in need,” she said. “Voting for this round ends on Oct. 22 at 10 p.m. Eastern time and we’re hoping Mahopac and the surrounding areas can help us move the needle forward to get our little guy across the finish line!”

The semifinals run Oct. 23-29, followed by the finals Oct. 30-Nov. 5.

Landon's personalized voting page can be found at babyoftheyear.org/2026/landon-c7e8 or by scanning the QR code included with this article.