Mom of the Year Contest
Win a FREE Sampler Gift Box!
Mothers! They do so much for us! Caring for us when sick, making sure we have a little extra cash for special times, packing our lunches for school and giving us advice when we need as adults. Now it is your turn to give back. Better Made Snack Foods is voting " Mom of the Year"!
The Mom of the winning entry will receive a delicious Better Made
sampler gift box!
Stories can be submitted via e-mail to
info@bettermadesnackfoods.com,
Facebook,
Twitter, or by sending in an entry to Better Made Mother's Day Contest, 10148 Gratiot Avenue, Detroit, MI 48213.
All submissions will be posted on the Better Made website. The winner will be chosen on
Mother's Day, Sunday, May 13th.
Mom of the Year 2012 - Frances Flewellen
I am nominating my mother, Frances, as mom of the year contest. She is the most kind-hearted, good-spirited, patient, beautiful, intelligent, and loving person that I have ever met in my entire life. Back in 2006, she was diagnosed with having Thyroid cancer unexpectedly. She pulled through it by having constant prayers and guidance from above. She never seemed to be scared, she always made sure that she stayed strong for the family. I honor her for that and I am so happy that she is still living today.
She has worked in Special Education for over 15 years. She works with children that are in wheelchairs, have Autism, Down Syndrome, among many other disabilities. She absolutely loves and strives at what she does. At our church, she works for an organization called the Harvest of Hope which helps to provide Foster Children with homes. She loves this field of work, because she adopted me when I was only 2 months old, and she was adopted by her grandmother when she was younger. Her heart goes out to these kids because she use to be one of them.
My mom is truly an inspiration, no matter what ups or downs our family is going through she never stops loving or trying. Her love is unconditional, and I just hope that I can be half of the woman that she is when I become older. Her passion for everything that she does in life radiates and you can tell it upon first meeting her. She will bend over backwards for anyone that she encounters. Her loving spirit will never cease to exist.
These are just some of the many reasons why I think my mother deserves to be mom of the year!
Thank you for considering Frances Flewellen for this nomination.
Contest Entries
I am writing to nominate my mother, Pam Coultis as mom of the year. My mother is a lifelong Detroiter and supporter.
She loves your product and raised us in a household with your chips, shoe string potatoes, pretzels and lots of other Detroit staples. From the time I can first remember my mother made our home and welcome place for extended family and friends. Entertaining and food all have warm memories at my mothers table and Better Made has and is still today part of those events.
My mother would be surprised and enjoy the products and share them, like she shares everything else she has. She shares her heart, wisdom, home and good fortune.
Many good turns deserves a return. Pay it forward for my mom Pam. She is a much loved role model, mother, grandmother, secretary and friend to many. I have attached a photo of my mother with another fan of hers and your products her grandson, Elliot.
Ms. Patience Wright
It is with pride that I nominate someone near and dear to my heart, Miss Camille Binder for Better Made Mother of the Year. It is my belief that Camille has earned, and deserves such an honor on a day when ALL Mothers are being given their proper praise, credit and respect.
Let me first say that I've never met a mother who's more in touch, and who has a better relationship with her two sons than Camille. She is their mother, their friend, their father, and their main support system 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. She works tirelessly to provide for them, sends them to the best schools, provides them with a beautiful home, and makes sure that they arent given anything, but that they EARN everything that she blesses them with. She is hands on with them, always giving advice, as well as discipline, which for a single Mom, in todays society, is NOT always the easiest thing to do. Whether it's skating parties, birthday parties, wrestling matches or whatever comes up at the time, she is always there making sure the boys have fun, that they are mannerable, and that they realize that with faith, hard work, effort and education all of their dreams can become realities.
Camille doesnt stop there though. She's a Humanitarian as well. She sponsors a yearly event for the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer foundation in Atlanta, Ga called Real Men Wear Pink. Last year her event helped raise over $5000 for breast cancer research, in hopes of eradicating the world from this terrible sickness. She's hosted this event for 3 straight years and each year it has been more successful. Her determination to stomp out breast cancer will ensure that more, and more Mothers are around for their families living and enjoying their lives.
Again, Camille doesnt stop there. She's always there for everyone, often pushing her own wants and needs to the backburner to do things for her friends and family. She's an extremely hard worker. A sister to many, a mother to others, and a friend to all. To say that she's an amazing Mother would be an understatement. She's a phenomenal person and someone who I am honored to know and love.
I'm sure there are many qualified candidates for the Mother of the Year award, and I'm equally as sure that they are all deserving. In my eyes however, this woman, deserves the honor for being an outstanding example of what todays Mothers SHOULD be. Therefore again, I proudly submit her name for Mother Of The Year and I hope and pray that she will garner strong consideration for this prestigious honor.
By the way...did I mention that she's a Better Made BBQ Chip FANATIC?? So much so, that I have to send her Better Made BBQ care pacakages to Atlanta every few months just to make sure she has her Better Made fix? You'd be doing the award a disservice by not giving it to her. There cant be a bigger Better Made fan walking the face of the earth.
Eric L. Hightower
My Mom, Carol Meader, is the BEST MOM IN THE WORLD! I am so lucky to have had such a giving and loving woman to be my Mom. She is the most precious gift that God has given to me, not to take anything from my Father. She was a stay at home mom while I was growing up and always put us kids first. She cooked (even though she hated to), cleaned and did everything for me that a mom does. Three of the best things she did was to give me the gift of her love, her time and her faith. Whether reading to me, drawing and coloring pictures, doing crafts or just playing games we spent a lot of time together. She also gave me the gift of faith. Not only by teaching, but by living the example of what Christ wanted me to be.
I learned from her how to treat other people with love, respect, patience and understanding. She in turned learned all of these things from my grandmother. I have never been blessed with my own children, but I try to give to others the way she has given to me. It is a well-known fact in our family that Mom's favorite snack is potato chips, so when I saw that Better Made was giving me the opportunity to honor my Mom, I gladly took it. It isn't just about potato chips (even though we love them), it is a time to stop and remember the important things in life and say "Thanks Mom, I love you too!".
I love you Mom! Your 44 year old "baby", Vicki
Mrs. Gayle Spiteri - 2nd Grade Student Entries - Bemis Elementary School - Troy, MI
I am nominating my Mom, Debi as mother of the year. The chips are my mothers favorites and I wondered if I could order them and have them shipped to Blacksburg Va. While on that site I saw this contest and knew I had to enter my mother. This year has been so hard on her and it would be great if she won. She has her daughter bring up Lays potato chips when she comes to visit!
Mom is a very large women and has had lymphaderma problems among many other health issues. This year she has had home health care where nurses would come in each day and help her out. Dad was told that one day he'll wake up but mom won't. With that being said mom is the one comforting us. Mom has always been the heart of the family, she has a way about her that keeps the whole family together. We all live in the same mobile home park so we see mom everyday, she still cooks and baby sits for all of us.
If I know anything about my mother its that we come first! Her 6 grandchildren love her to death and they keep her going. I have two sisters and one brother and we all feel the same way about her. We have all stood up to her and treated her unkind we have fought with each other and wore her down. But mom still stands and gives all that she can. I can not find the words to express how she stands behind us and supports us.
Unconditional Love...thats Mom
Terry Lilley
My mother Diane Stockel has been a fan of your company since she was a young girl buying chips fresh from the hopper at your store. She grew up in Hamtramck and one her treats was your chips.
Why I think she is the Mother of the Year is pretty simple. Through her 72 years so far she has always been for her children. Whether taking 4 boys to hockey practice or just supporting our adventures. The past 20 months have been tough as she has been struggling with Pancreatic cancer. Through all of the treatments and hospital stays she has find time for her grandchildren now. Going to dance competitions and hockey games to see her grandchildren do what they like.
That is why I think she is the Mother of the Year.
Kind regards,
Dan Stockel
I'm proud to nominate my mother, Thoris Walton, Detroit, MI, for the Better Made Mom of the Year Contest, as I believe that she deserves the recognition! After successfully raising me and my four siblings, who are all now adults, and serving as 'acting mom' for thousands of students as a teacher and reading specialist for elementary students in Detroit Public Schools (DPS), she continues to wear her 'Mom' hat with pride.
My mother retired from DPS three years ago. However unlike other retirees, her life is not yet her own. She drives her car at least three times a year from Detroit to Columbus, OH to care for her two grand daughters ages 2 and 4, sometimes for a full week because my sister and her husband have demanding careers that occasionally require travel out of the country. Although the drive and management of two young children wear on her and she almost always catches the 2-year-old's cold, she continues to make the drive because she loves her family!
This past summer my mother opened her doors to one of her two teenage grandsons. As a former teacher, she felt compelled to take him in to help get him back on track and better prepared for college. I'm happy to say that her efforts paid off because my nephew, who once had no aspirations or dreams of going to college, has three scholarship offers to Michigan schools. He'll be leaving for college in the fall. She truly worked a miracle!
My mother deserves this award because she could have taken the easy road and traveled the world with her retirement savings and left my siblings to fend for themselves with regard to their parenthood challenges. After all, she succeeded with little help raising five children in an era where the husband's role was only to bring home the bacon - not cook or God forbid clean or help with child rearing. However, like the great mom that she is and has always been she continues to put her needs aside to help her children and now their children.
One final note; my mother recently received a phone call from another grandson who's away in college in Texas. He called to ask if he could stay with her over the summer, referencing his cousin who currently lives there. He went on to say although he does not have a job secured he would find one after he got there [Detroit]. She lovingly told him, "No," and suggested that he remain in Texas where the job prospects are a bit better. I think my mom is finally practicing tough love, and maybe, just maybe, she'll have her house all to herself this summer to travel and do as she pleases and perhaps enjoy a bag of Better Made Chips without having to share :) !
Vickie, West Bloomfield, MI
Our mom should be the Mom of the Year! Mom always makes sure that we have everything we need and more. She works a full time job taking care of other children and comes home to take care of us. She makes sure our clothes are clean, we have healthy meals to eat and we do our homework even when we don't want to. If we give her a hard time she has a talk with us until we finally do it. She is always so loving to us. She is not like the other moms who are too busy; she always makes time for us and spends all her time with us. She never even goes anywhere with her friends, she would rather be with us. She never swears and always is a good role model for us and any other kids. She always puts us and dad before herself. She will buy us new clothes but never for herself. She will save for years to take us on a vacation that we want instead of buying something that she wants (which would probably be for the house instead of herself anyway, like deck furniture or something for all of us). We always go where we want for vacation, even their honeymoon was planned around dad's favorite baseball player.
She encourages us to do all the activities and sports we want and has NEVER missed a single game, performance or whatever. She always gives up her things to be there for us. She even volunteers to coach our baseball and soccer teams and is on the board for my football league. She would do anything to help anyone and has taught that to us. Because of her behaviors, she has taught us to be good people. We learned to open doors for people, help a classmate in a wheelchair, and just be nice and helpful to everyone, even if they aren't nice to us, from her. She even does things like donates her hair to help make wigs for kids who have cancer every 5 or 6 years and donates blood every couple months to help total strangers. Because of her, we are who we are and we are good kids that are nice to people, go out of our way to help others, and always have our homework done (even if we didn't want to). Our mom deserves something special. Please help us to do that for her!
Thank you for thinking of her.
Carson and Caden
I would like to tell you about my mom, Eleanor Blatnilc. She would be delighted to win the Better Made Contest for 2012 Mother's Day!
Dear Mom,
Thank you for being my best-friend. I love talking to you about anything and everything! Your always there for me, during crabby moods, joyful times, silly, stupid, not worth talking about things also. You accept me for who I am, never judging me or criticizing me for my bad choices or flaws. I know you have a safe place in your heart for my thoughts and feelings.
We crack each other up, with our brand of humor. That's because were both on the same page. Mom, you always encourage me, when I'm not feeling brave, or capable, or successful. You help me see the positive, and I need that! You are my balance, perspective & support person on my team. I am infinitely blesses. Thank you for being my mom, you truly mean the world to me. If my mom is chosen we will celebrate with your gift box that my family loves, and we enjoy all of Better Made products and snacks. Truly delicious.
Love Cathy
I would like to enter my mom, Jean Paige, in the Better Made 3rd Annual Mother of the Year Contest. When I was a young child, my mother regularly hosted pinochle card parties (as did so many in our 70's social circle.) She would serve assorted snacks at these gatherings, the best (in my opinion,) being Better Made potato chips and french onion dip (again, so popular in the 70's,) served in the fancy cut glass amber matching chip & dip set (and again, ubiquitous in the 70's,) she reserved for use during special occasions. As these parties would start after my bedtime, I usually wouldn't get to join in the festivities, but I never went to bed disappointed as she first made sure to have me "test" all the foods to make sure they were up to her standards. I never remember there being any problems with the Better Made chips, except that I wanted to eat too many! Mom was the greatest party planner!
Heather Pauli
I am nominating my daughter, Jennifer Rose, in the mother's Day contest. She is a great mother, gourmet cook and gives a great deal of her time to charitable work. She is also a wonderful wife & daughter. She helps me out with various tasks each day. She doesn't know that I'm nominating her. I hope that, if she wins, it'll be a wonderful surprise.
Sheila Tkatch
I am nominating my mother Silvia S, She has shown me her strong side these pass few years. with her losing her job and struggling to find another and my father being the only source of income my mom always made sure there was food on the table for us. My mother has been through hell and back with dealing with her sisters surviving colon cancer then her breaking her leg a few months later. My mother always tried to look at things in the lighter side even when life has done nothing but bring her and the people around her down. My mom is the strongest, kind hearted lady I know. Even though we never looked eye to eye as i was growing up "what kid did" I still grew up to be closer then ever to her, she is truly my best friend and someone that i believe is the mother of the year every year! :)
Natty Lyte
I would like to nominate my mother, Mary Rue, for the 2012 Mother of the Year. In addition to her being the glue that has held our family together, she has always stood out as a role model, and someone that I have tried my hardest to pattern my work ethic after. She is extremely loving, caring, and generous, and part of the reason that I have always tried to be successful was to make her feel proud and happy.
While these are characteristics that most Mother of the Year nominees would feature, I would also like to add that my mom never once got upset at me when I refused to eat any of the darker (now called Rainbow) chips that would come out of the familiar, yummy, big yellow bags. As a youngster, I would steadfastly refuse to eat these chips, as well as any that came out that had a green spot on them. While this might have frustrated other mothers, she would never hesitate to take my castoff potato chips and eat them herself. I still laugh at these memories, and I have been smiling the entire time while writing this.
Thank you for allowing me to share this wonderful story with you, and for sponsoring such an outstanding award!
Casey Rue
My name is Pamela and I want to enter my mama, Cathy, as the Better Made Mama of the Year for 2012!
My mother has always been there for me and truly unconditionally proved that in the last year. I am 33 years old and was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer. I had a very long hospitalization filled with difficult complications and a long recuperation. Never once did my mama leave my side or did her strength waiver. She has been my advocate and has been consistently beside me day and night. She came to the hospital everyday for over a month and sat next to my bed all day. She stayed with me in my house for at least one month when I couldn't be left alone. She took me to countless doctors visits, emergency room visits, and sat up with me all night when I couldn't have imagined being more ill. She bandaged by physical wounds and healed my mental wounds.
I am truly blessed to have been shown unconditional commitment and love. My mama put her life on hold without being asked. She held my hand and walked beside me and led me through a time of complete darkness. I am blessed to receive constant encouragement and I can tell you she helped save my life.
I know without a doubt that she deserves to be the Better Made Mama of the year for 2012 because no one could make her better.
Pamela Mackey
I am entering my Mother, Mary, for the Mother of the Year. She has been helpful not only to her children but also in the community. My mother has three children, two daughters and a son who is the youngest. My Dad, Ples, died of a massive heart attack when I was just 18 years of age. I'm the middle child. My Mother took care of all three children and made sure we were good citizens. She took us to church so we could have morals and values. There were some days that we ate beans for dinner to make ends meet. One evening when my Mother had prepared beans for dinner, the pastor's wife stopped by. I was just wishing I could have pulled some chicken out of the refrigerator or maybe even a cake. There was nothing more to take out. She was real kind about it and ate beans right along with us.
My Mom served in the community by visiting the sick and giving people rides to places where they needed to go. Many people from my Mom's church would tell her of family members and friends that were sick. My Mother would gladly go to visit them in their homes or in the hospitals. Many people had very few visitors and were so glad for the company. Mary would give rides to persons that didn't have cars. This might be to a doctor's visit or a place of business. She was ready and willing to lend a helping hand.
I think God blessed my Mom to be healthy today because she gives so freely to others. She is now in her seventies and I know I am blessed because of my Mom.
Youngest daughter,
Brenda
I am nominating my daughter in law Yasmin Ruple.
Her and our son were born and raised in Michigan then moved to Florida about 5 years ago to attend college. The only local food Yasmin misses from Michigan are Better Made chips! Every time someone visits them- we have to bring Better Made chips! I even ordered a case from your store one year to be delivered to her in Florida, on her birthday! (best birthday present ever- she told me!)
This would be the perfect year for her to win your Mom of the Year contest because she just found out today that they are expecting their first child! Although Yasmin has not yet had the chance to be the wonderful caring mom we all know and love-there is no question how lucky this baby will be to have her as a mother.
Yasmin is a 3rd grade school teacher and has been recognized many times for her seriously being a great teacher and caring for each child as if they were her own. She goes way above and beyond what is required to really reach and connect with the children and make sure they are not left behind. Yasmin is is what your contest is all about-
Thank you
Brenda Ruple
I would like to enter my daughter in the contest - Michelle Artist She has been my backbone these last few years...2007 my plant went out of business,and my unemployment ran out in 2009,she has taking care of me and my granddaughter and helped me out with my 95 yr old father she has been a gem to behold...please consider her...
Thank you
Sherry Artist