On May 12th, Marcella Lee, weekend anchor for CBS 8, and I co-emceed San Diego’s 50 Best Moms Awards yearly luncheon held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in La Jolla, California. This is the eleventh year Time Warner Cable has hosted this community program celebrating exceptional mothers.

Coronado had the distinct honor of adding five Best Moms to the growing list of outstanding San Diego women who go above and beyond the call of mother duty.

Coronado resident Hella Greer was unable to attend the ceremony, but her son, Stefan Greer, who wrote the winning essay, received a heartwarming surprise video message from his mother which was played for him while he accepted both his and his mother’s awards.

Susan Ahern, Bernice Santiago Nelson, Jennifer Lynn Ellinger, Annika Wilson, and Gretchen von Helms rounded out the list of winners of Time Warner Cable’s community program.

This year’s contest was based on essay and, for the first time, also included video submissions from approximately 2,000 elementary, middle school and high school students from San Diego County. In their essays or videos, children from 4th to 12th grade explain why their mother deserves the honor of Best Mom.

Winning moms are selected by a panel of volunteer judges which consists of journalist, elected officials and community leaders. Local media journalists Jodi Kodesh of NBC 7/39, Tom Jordan of KUSI and KFMB's Nichelle Medina along with elected officials like San Diego Council Member Marti Emerald, Solana Beach Council Member Dave Roberts and U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer District Director Caridad Sanchez, and yours truly, donate time to read and judge essays.

As you might know, I have had the privilege of being involved with this community program since 2006, the year I was awarded with the incredible honor of Best Mom.

Each essay is read and scored based on specific guidelines provided by Time Warner Cable and Community Outreach Director, Pam Pantua.

And, this year’s winners were nothing short of inspirational!

Applause and cheers greeted announcements of several breast cancer survivors as they walked the red carpet onto the stage to accept their awards.

A wheelchair-bound mother who, after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis took up playing wheelchair basketball, was later also diagnosed with breast cancer. But, she hasn’t let these setbacks keep her from doing what she loves best: being a mother to her son. The applause and tears of admiration for her were abundant as she wheeled herself to the stage to accept her award.

Each winning mom is awarded gift bag filled with items from sponsors like HBO, Popchips, UltraStar Cinemas, The Microsoft Store, Mission Federal Credit Union, San Diego Repertory Theater, Spa Gregory, and  more. The Carlsbad-based company, Popchips, also donates lunch for the entire class for one randomly-selected child in each grade level.

Click here to read more about the contest and the grand prize winners.