Moms are coming back into the picture. Literally.
Shelby Halat, 28, of Pottsville, and her son, Evan, 2 1/2, were recently selected as winners of Sprout's #MomIsHere campaign for their Instagram photo entry.
The 24-hour pre-school network kicked-off their #MomIsHere campaign last month, which encouraged moms to step out from behind the camera and celebrate the special, photo-worthy moments with their families. Whether on a family outing or during a quiet moment at home with the kids, Sprout asked its followers to capture these moments and share photos of themselves with their children by using the #MomIsHere hashtag on Instagram.
"My son was watching the Sprout channel and I saw a commercial for the contest and decided to submit a couple of photos," Halat said. "You could submit one a day. It was through the Sprout channel and Instagram. I was so excited when I got a comment on the photo they chose of ours I screamed."
More than 10,000 submissions were received and Sprout selected 10 images. Sprout announced the #MomIsHere campaign winners on social media Friday and will be appearing in a commercial on Sprout, scheduled to begin airing today.
The campaign inspired Halat to start documenting more of her life with her family.
"I actually have been taking a lot more pictures of the whole family," Halat said. "Photos of me and my son and my husband and my son. I like the idea of being in the photos. I always post pictures of my son, and my husband and I are rarely in them."
As a selected winner, Evan received a prize package worth $100 including a recipe book, do-it-yourself crafts, a dream catcher and a treasure map. In addition to the commercial, Shelby and Evan also get their photo featured on a digital billboard above Times Square. The Halat family plans to take a trip to Times Square to see it in person.
"We're very grateful that they decided to do this contest," Halat said. "It was a great chance to show everybody the beautiful bond I have between myself and my son. I'm looking forward to seeing our picture on the commercial."