LUMBERTON — Voting begins Monday for entrants in the Beautiful Baby Contest, held annually by the Robeson County Partnership for Children as a fundraiser.

Each vote costs $1 and can be cast at the Robeson County Partnership for Children office in Lumberton using cash, check, debit card or credit card. Voters may also pay online at robesonpartnership.org, or mail their check for votes to the office at 210 E. Second St. in Lumberton. Voting ends 4:30 p.m. June 4.

Money raised during the contest will benefit the Robeson County Partnership for Children and Exploration Station, an interactive learning museum located on North Chestnut Street in downtown Lumberton.

“The Beautiful Baby Contest is a fun way to celebrate the beauty of all children and to raise funds to support the mission of the partnership,” said JoAnne Branch, Fund Development specialist. “We are working to make sure that each child in Robeson County is given the opportunity to participate in high-quality preschool educational experiences that provide a strong foundation for school success.”

After a one-year break because of COVID-19, the contest returns with more than 20 entries and all are “perfectly adorable.” This year’s batch of beautiful babies can now be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/xtswb7zz. Photos of the contestants also are in today’s edition of The Robesonian.

Two first-place winners, a boy and a girl, will each receive $100, a parade magnet, a trophy and a crown or tiara. Second- through fourth-place winners will receive trophies. The top 12 babies will be featured in the partnership’s 2020 Smart Start Calendar, which will be released during the fall.

The male and female first-place winners will be announced in The Robesonian on June 19, which is the day before Father’s Day.