Mercy Townsend, the 2-year-old Toledoan recently chosen as the grand prize winner of the Gerber Generation Photo Search, makes her debut next month in a nationwide marketing campaign.

Townsend's Gerber Generation advertisement will appear in several national parenting magazines, including Baby & Toddler, Parents, Parenting, and Scholastic Parent & Child.

The daughter of Damion Townsend and Tahisha Williams-Townsend of North Toledo, Townsend beat out more than 217,000 entrants in the contest and received a $25,000 college scholarship as well as a trip to New York City, along with her parents, for the photo shoot.

Gerber will launch a second Gerber Generation Photo Search in May. For more information, visit the Gerber Facebook page, Facebook.com/Gerber.

First Published April 22, 2011, 5:00 a.m.