Enjoying their time together at the state Capitol are, from left, parents Jason and Cortney Warren of Dawnville, Gerber Spokesbaby Lucas Warren and state Sen. Chuck Payne, R-Dalton, who presented a Senate resolution honoring Lucas as the first Gerber Spokesbaby with special needs.

DALTON, Ga. — Resolutions and proclamations in the Georgia Legislature typically honor heroes, football champions or other people from across the state who have drawn the attention of legislators. 

State Sen. Chuck Payne’s attention was drawn to local celebrity Lucas Warren of Dawnville, the baby with the bow tie and the infectious smile who was selected earlier this year as the Gerber Spokesbaby for 2018. Lucas, who has Down syndrome, was the first child with special needs selected in the annual contest that is in its eighth year. This year’s contest for the face of the iconic children’s brand drew more than 140,000 entries.

“He tells a story without speaking a word,” said Payne, R-Dalton, of Lucas. “Sometimes those are the most powerful stories.”

Payne presented a Senate resolution honoring Lucas as the first Gerber Spokesbaby with special needs Monday morning.

Lucas and his parents Cortney and Jason Warren have become something of national celebrities, appearing on the “Today Show” when his selection was announced and being featured across Gerber’s social media channels. Payne said Lucas was the No. 1 draw in the corridors of power at the Capitol as Payne walked around with Lucas in his arms. 

“Lucas definitely made me the most popular person in the Capitol today,” Payne said. “I couldn’t make it through a hallway without everyone wanting to get a picture and smiling and waving at him. I was traveling with a rock star. It was amazing how Lucas just came to me, and I thought I didn’t know if I wanted to let this kid go. This is his God-given purpose shining through.”

It was that purpose — normalizing the special needs community and shining the light of awareness on those like Lucas — that Payne said he wanted to highlight with the resolution (http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-US/Display/20172018/SR/999). 

“Whereas, it is the hope of Lucas’s family that his victory will spread joy and shed light on the special needs community, showing that with acceptance and support, individuals with special needs can change the world,” the resolution reads, in part.

 Payne said from the time he learned the new Gerber Spokesbaby was from his district he knew he wanted to share his story with the rest of his colleagues in the Senate. 

“I’ve always had a passion for helping children and working with kids,” said Payne, who worked in juvenile justice before becoming a state senator. “What the world saw in that little boy is just joy, and you realize that everyone of us have a God-given purpose. That little boy has been involved in his purpose. I wanted to make the Senate and the state know that even though that kid has some special needs, he is fulfilling his purpose.”

Resolution text

 Honoring Lucas Andrew Warren for becoming the first Gerber spokesbaby with special needs; and for other purposes.

Whereas, Lucas Andrew Warren was born on July 22, 2016, to Cortney and Jason Warren and has been selected as the winner of the eighth annual Gerber Baby Photo Search from a pool of more than140,000 entries; and

Whereas, Lucas, who has Down syndrome, is the first Gerber spokesbaby with special needs, marking a momentous and progressive occasion in the history of Gerber Baby Food; and

Whereas, as the grand prize winner, Lucas is given the coveted title of 2018 Gerber Spokesbaby and will be featured on Gerber’s social media channels throughout the year, and in addition, his family will receive $50,000.00; and

Whereas, it is the hope of Lucas’s family that his victory will spread joy and shed light on the special needs community, showing that with acceptance and support, individuals with special needs can change the world; and

Whereas, it is abundantly fitting and proper that Lucas be appropriately honored for his victory and for the sense of acceptance, awareness and inclusion that he will bring to the lives of children with special needs and their families around the world by being seen far and wide as a spokesbaby.

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate that the members of this body honor Lucas Andrew Warren for becoming the first Gerber spokesbaby with special needs.