Meet our 2011 Moms Rock! Finalists

We are super excited to announce the 10 finalists for this years Moms Rock Event. We had more than 60 nominees and it was a very difficult task to narrow it down to only 10. After much deliberation here are the amazing women chosen for this year.

Take a moment and read over these incredible stories!

Drew Ann Long-  She is mom to 3 children including her special needs daughter named Caroline. As Caroline grew older and bigger, it was increasingly hard for Drew Ann to take Caroline to the grocery with her, an outing that she so enjoyed. So Drew Ann invented a shopping cart for special needs children and adults. It’s been designed and debuted here in Birmingham. Here is an article about Drew Ann and Caroline. And a short video.  Drew Ann was also instrumental in helping to bring a Sunday School class for special needs children in her community. And although she’d humbly tell you there were others she thinks are far more worthy, she’s just a lovely person all together.

Jennifer Henley -When her children were just 3 and 2, her husband suffered a terrible accident while playing with the children. A chin up bar gave way, and he fell only a few feet. However, the accident left him a paraplegic.  Jennifer has handled this with a grace and strength. She not only continued to care for her two children, but also her husband.  She continues to be an amazing Mom, and a great friend. She is the first person to bring you soup when you are sick, and never complains about her situation.

Abi Williams. Mrs. Williams has a place in her heart for kids who have a hard time seeing their own potential. She is a bright light for her students. She lets us be a part of her family which is such a loving, happy family. Her girls are so lucky to have a mom who tries so hard to take them everywhere she is even if she is so tired because of it. We sometimes say she is a crazy old lady before she is even old because Mrs. Williams will just say or do anything,  she doesn’t hold back. She is just so fun and out there. She will push you when you need it and hug you when you need it. Her office is where we all know we can go for a safe place. We all know her kids and her husband and we all wish she was our mom too.  Mrs. Williams is the coolest mom around and I hope you will nominate her for the coolest and rockinest mom in Birmingham. For me, that would be an understatement!

Roxane Mackin, nominated by her 11 year old. My Mom deserves every award there is for being the best Mom ever. My Mommy has done everything for me since the day I was born. She has taught me to be kind and respectful to my friends and teachers and family. She has helped me understand that in life you always have to be responsible for your actions. She has taught me how important it is to have good manners and always be polite. She has taught me the right values that I will have with me for my whole life. For 11 years my Mommy has always put me first and has sacrificed a lot to make sure all my needs have been met every day of my life. She makes sure I have a good breakfast every single morning because she says “you can think better at school if you have a healthy breakfast.” I play tennis and am in advanced tumbling. My Mother has never missed a tennis tournament in 5 years and has given me the chance to improve my tumbling skills which got me to the advanced level. Everything I have is because my Mommy has made it happen. My Mom is so beautiful, but she especially has the biggest heart. Most important of all is I always know my Mommy is there for me and loves me more than anything in this world.  I hope you will give this honor to my Mommy. She works so hard, but always has time for me no matter what. If she has to make a choice between doing something for herself or doing something to help me, she always picks helping me just because she loves me. My Mom is definitely a Mom that rocks!!!!

Laura Kate Whitney.  As a nominee from last year, LK is no stranger to the Moms Rock Event and she has taken it to the next level this year.  Now raising two boys, she has recently started a “homeschool experiment” with her three-year-old son, Grey.  She writes and works in event planning when the rest of the family sleeps.  Otherwise, she’s being spit up on, wiping behinds, etc. Upon moving here two years ago, she started a blog to inspire herself to get out and enjoy/explore Birmingham.  Of course, the blog has ended up inspiring many, many more to do the same.  She hopes to teach her sons as much as she can about this city because their roots are here.  LK is extremely kind and outgoing, making friends wherever she goes.  She has a huge heart, frequently calling others’ attention to injustices and important social causes. LK rocks as a mom, a friend, and a neighbor (I should know since she lives right next door)!

Keagan Wilson is the mother of a 3 year old girl, Harleyana, and 7 year old boy, Payten.  She works 40 hours a week (and most often works even more than that) as a telephone service representative for a Post-Secondary Education company called CARS.  She also is a full time student, in her third year now, working on a degree in Forensic Investigation.  Along with her full time job, and being a full time student, she also takes time out of her schedule to be an Avon independent sales rep.  Also, once a year, she’s an actress at our local haunt, Sloss Fright Furnace. And she’s a SINGLE mom??  She regularly volunteers her time to help others and is always helping children.  She makes sure that she’s constantly spending time with her two children and giving them the best that she can provide on her own.  She’s constantly doing new arts & crafts with them, taking them to the park, trips to the zoo, etc.  She always encourages them to read, learn as much as they can and always do their best and everything.  She’s now even a new soccer mom, recently enrolling her son in Soccer.  Her kids, and her family as well, are her life. I have seen her struggles and she always manages to work everything out for the best.  She pulls through like a champ!  She is a wonderful, loving, caring, always upbeat woman.  Coming from an extremely troubled childhood, she’s vowed to give her all into making sure her children have a completely opposite home life than she had.  Beginning as a teen mom, you would never have believed it!  She’s been the best mom I’ve ever seen, never giving up, constantly working as hard as she can to provide for them, and has always done it on her own.

Sarah O’Donnell. Not only is she managing Birmingham’s most popular (and most glossy…) magazine, B-Metro, with more style and poise than I can muster for the fanciest of occasions, but she also manages hours outside of work to help Birmingham move forward – and the life of her most precious son, Gabriel. She holds her family and friends close to her heart, and closest of those are her son and her father, Joe O’Donnell (the most amazing man in this city). Sarah is a non-stop social bee and urbanite who works because she loves too. That doesn’t place her son Gabe in second place, though, as he grows up in the most magic of cities. As a (single) mom, Sarah is constantly including her 3.5-year-old in Birmingham-centric activities that support both the growth of her child and the growth of this city.

Cookbook author and recipe developer, Alison Lewis, is a Rockin’ AND Rollin’ Mom!  This year, she’s been traveling the country promoting her first cookbook, 400 Best Sandwich Recipes, has been a guest speaker at several national and local events, was an invited guest at a recipe cook off in NYC, has been featured in numerous publications, AND manages to stay trim in between,  running marathons –yes, marathons!  Committed to a healthy lifestyle, Alison tests her creative recipes on her 3 active teenagers and a very supportive attorney husband, all while blogging daily and managing sponsorships from her home office.   Her three kids have inherited her energy and enthusiasm, and are active not only in sports,  but also enjoy social media and blogging.  I recently saw her at a blogger conference with kids in tow, iphone buzzing, and a smile on her face!  As a result, her daughter Leigh, started her own blog, sharing her tips for back to school shopping.  Alison seems to thrive on all the activity and that makes life fun and certainly interesting for her family and friends.  I admire her organization, her talent, her tenacity, and her unwavering commitment to her family and her work.  She’s the first to tell you that she’s not an overnight publishing success, having spent 17 years developing recipes.   But with the release of her first internationally published cookbook,  and the support of her family, she’s finally receiving the industry recognition that she deserves!

 My friend Amy Johnson is a Rockin’ Mom.  Amy manages to juggle her career, family and friends all while maintaining a positive attitude.  Amy would love to be able to spend more time with her beautiful daughter Brooke. And although keeping up with a busy career and six year old is not always easy, she makes the most of what time she has.  She is an amazing mom and one only has to see her with her daughter to know the depth of their relationship.  She ensures Brooke has all she needs and is well rounded.  Amy has a heart of gold and is one person you can always count on to be there for you any time and any where.

Brittney Smith – is an incredible mom. In spite of burying a child in 1999, and a sister-in-law in 2001, she has managed to keep her head up and bring light & encouragement to so many in our community (Pell City). She is a very active Disney Travel Agent, but somehow makes the time to be the room mom in our youngest son’s class, as well as serving as Secretary for the Pell City High School Touchdown Club. B also helps lead a Sunday School class for young couples in our church. Between washing, cooking, cleaning, transporting kids to church & sports, helping with my aging parents, raising money for the football & basketball teams, and planning hundreds of Disney vacations, B is the ultimate mom.