Celebrating Canadian Moms #MOTY

In May and June Walmart invited Canadians to nominate special moms to be considered for the Mother of the Year award.  The eight finalists have been chosen out of 16,000+ nominations. I don't envy the judges and their tough decision to narrow down the nominations and now to try and pick one special mom.  Every mom deserves to be recognized for the contribution they make to their family.  After reading all the stories, there is one that stands out and touches me at the deepest core.

Helen MacDonnell from Moncton, will receive $10,000 and a charitable donation towards the Canadian Mental Health Association-Moncton thanks to her sons' nomination.  MacDonnell became impassioned about Mental Health and Bipolar Disorder after losing her brother.  She now rallies support for people suffering with these types of illnesses.  Though I could never pretend to know exactly what MacDonnell has come through with her loss, I do know first hand the effects of mental illness in my own life and how these effects ripple towards surrounding family members.

For those of you that don't know my background, I began blogging to connect with other parent's while I was on Maternity Leave and suffering from severe post-partum depression.  It was a two year journey through darkness that left me wondering if anyone could ever understand the pain and anxiety I was enduring.  Joy and peace have returned to my life but I still have relapses from time to time.  I applaud Helen MacDonnell and her work to support people with depression.

I invite you to visit www.MomoftheYear.ca to see all the finalists. "The eight finalists that were selected will each receive $10,000 for personal use and $10,000 to the charity they have chosen. Plus, at the end of September a gala will be held to announce the Mom of the Year, who will receive $100,000 for her charity."  

Stay tuned to hear the finalist name revealed in a few weeks.  Walmart will be offering the Mom of the Year award again next year so we will have more chances to celebrate Canadian moms.

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].