The "Why Mom Eligible Diamond" contest is an American essay contest founded by Michael (Diamond Mike) Watson in Costa Mesa, California in 1993. The contest was established in honor of Watson's adoptive mother and the birth mother who did not ever known. In a limited number of words, children are asked to write essays explaining why their mothers deserve diamonds.
Hundreds of thousands of American children have participated, and dozens of children have won the grand prize of diamonds to give to their mothers (and other precious gems).
Video Why Mom Deserves a Diamond contest
First Diamond Winner
On Mother's Day, May 9, 1993, sophomore Margaret Ketchersid of Edison High School in Huntington Beach, California was awarded a diamond of a quarter-carat diamond to give to her mother, Ruth. Here is his winning essay.
Her love is not blind - it is clear and forgiving His Touch is omniscient - her life of joy Giving this angel, my mother, giving herself And enlightening me with true riches of compassion
A symbol of courage and strength that he lives in And understand all my joys and sorrows To stare at my mother, who is trying to transcend His duty Is to see radiate her unique and heated beauty!
Mother's sweet voice - she's strong, safe, embraces me longing to have her pure, natural grace, my mother, my guide, and the very rare gems Worthy of a fair diamond
Maps Why Mom Deserves a Diamond contest
Founder
Michael (Diamond Mike) Watson was born and adopted in Indianapolis in 1958. He spent his youth in New Albany, where his adoptive parents raised him. The basis of the contest began when Watson was looking for his own mother when he was 17 years old. [Source: "For Mother's Love." Daily Pilot. April 30, 1992.]
At the same time he began his quest, Watson entered the jewelry industry as a shopper for a store in New Albany. He joined the retail network and worked in jewelry stores in Indiana, Kentucky and Kansas City, then moved to California in 1989. [Source: "Watson Strikes Gold with Diamond Shop." Pulpit. PG 6. August 6, 1992.]
His first job ended when the store was sold and the next shop when the store was out of business. In 1991, Watson opened the Diamonds Jewelers Gallery in Costa Mesa, California. [Source: "Mother's Day Contest Building Business and Goodwill." Jewelers Circular Keystone. April 1996.]
Watson obtained a copy of the hospital bill from the Community Hospital, which showed her mother's name (Betty Price) and age. Armed with this information, he started a search that lasted nearly 20 years. [Source: Ibid. pg. 144.]
Watson found the judge who led the adoption only to know that the record was sealed. The judge did, however, give Watson a report by the Department of Public Welfare, which contained information about his biological mother. [Source: "One Man's Search." New Albany Tribune. 1995.]
The report mentions the name and date of marriage, and she contacts every county in Indiana to look for a marriage license. In mid-1994 he heard from the courthouse in Coatesville that information about the license was appropriate. She finds out that her biological mother's name is Stewart, and also finds her parent's address and phone number. [Source: "The Search Finally Ends." Newport Beach/Costa Mesa Daily Pilot. September 16, 1994.]
When calling his grandmother, he says that no one knows he is alive because his birth mother told her family she was stillborn. He later learned that his mother had died in 1981. [Source: "Shocking Twists in Two Searching for Family Roots." Los Angeles Times. January 28, 1998.]
Why Mothers Deserve the Diamond contest is becoming increasingly important for Watson to allow children to express their appreciation for their own mothers, especially when they are alive.
For years, the contest Why Mother Worthy Berlian brings thousands of ethnically diverse families to the Diamonds Jewelers Gallery. In an effort to educate the public on the concept of mutual love and respect that extends to people from foreign countries, Watson makes a meaningful word concept, "the intense love and respect of people from diverse backgrounds." In 2016, with the help of newspaper clerk Doug Lowry, the word "uniphilarsian" was created, which means "one who loves, considers, and oversees the unique aspects of every other person."
From 1993-2012, Watson published the winning entries in the yearbook to raise money for local libraries. "Shining Area Library from Essay Sales." Costa Mesa Daily Pilot. 2 September 1997. To date, approximately 20,000 children deliver their essays to corporate headquarters in Santa Ana, California, and nearly four thousand families come to the Diamonds Jewelers Gallery every year. [Source: "Why Mother Is Worth Extending Diamond Contest for Jewelry." Berlian News. January 30, 2012.]
Watson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Indiana University Southeast and is a gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America. She is the author of the Moon Over Mountains-The Search for Mom, The Legend of Why Mom Deserves Diamonds, Tales of Imagination-Everything Real, Seeking Mom-Journey of a Adoptee, and Adopted Like Selected for a Birthmother. "Find the Birth of Mother in a Special Book for Watson." New Albany Ledger Tribune. May 10, 1998. The Orange County Register newspaper named it the winner of the "Holiday Spirit Award" in 1995, awarded to business owners who display the holiday spirit throughout the year. "It's your business." [Source: List of Orange County. December 25, 1995.]
Diamond Winner
Intellectual Property
Trademarks Why Mom Deserves a Diamond was filed with the Patent and Trademark Office of the United States on July 27, 2001. The registration number is 2,620,840. The trademark, The Legendary Contest, received registration on April 17, 2007, as a "Writing Contest where children can honor their mothers and have the chance to win diamonds or gems." Reg # 3229618.
Franchise
In 2009, the contest Why Mom Deserves a Diamond became incorporated and in 2010 became a franchise with the mission of "giving each child the opportunity to express their appreciation words to the mothers." [Source: "Why Mother Is Worth Extending Diamond Contest for Jewelry." Berlian News. January 30, 2012.]
Annual Book Anthology publications
From 1993-2012, Gallery of Diamonds Jewelers, the founding sponsor of the contest, published the annual anthology of the winners. Part of the proceeds from the sale of these books were donated to the Orange County Library system in Orange County, California. Here is the title of the book and the years they were published.
- 2012. Why Mother deserves Diamond - A Gift of Love
- 2011. Why Mother Worth Loving - Legacy Edition
- 2010. Why Mom deserves Diamond - Found With Great Happiness
- 2009. Why Mom Should Own Diamonds - Amazing Branch
- 2008. Why Mom deserves Diamonds - Crystal Heart
- 2007. Why Mother Worthy Treasure - Shine
- 2006. Why Mom Deserves Diamond - Outside Venus Goddess
- 2005. Why Mother Worth Loving - Words of Love
- 2004. Why Mother Worth Loving - The Twelve Years of Love
- 2003. Why Mom deserves Diamonds - Legendary Contest
- 2002. Why Mom deserves Diamonds - The 10th Anniversary of the Greatest Contest on Earth
- 2001. Why Mother Is Worthy To Get Diamond - The Greatest Contest on Earth
- 2000. Why Mom deserves Diamond - Tribute to Mother Millennium Day
- 1999. Why Decent Mother, Seventh Anniversary Anniversary Edition
- 1998. Why Mom Deserves a Diamond - 1,500 Essays Winners for 1998
- 1997. Why Mom Layus Diamond - 1.005 Winners Essay for 1997
- 1996. Why Mom Layus Diamond - 732 Winner of the Essay for 1996
- 1995. Why Mom Mighted a Diamond - 391 Essay Winners for 1995
- 1994. Why Mom deserves Diamond - 1994 essay Winner
- 1993. Why Mom deserves Diamond - The 1993 Winner of the Essay
References
External links
- Official site
- CBS News
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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