Nearly 14,000 Orange County students entered the Why Mom Deserves a Diamond contest this year by writing words of appreciation about their mothers.
Grand prize winners Mai Hai Tran and Allison Kim bestowed quarter-carat diamonds to their mothers. Many other first- and second-place winners won amethysts and garnets.
Since 1993, the contest has given the opportunity for kids to think about why their moms are special, teaches them to be powerful writers, and prepares them for a lifetime of success by building self-esteem.
Founder Diamond Mike Watson established the contest in honor of his adoptive mother, Martha, and the birthmother he had never known. Today, the contest is in honor of all moms.
