Know a superhero mom? Canadians can nominate a mom in their lives simply by writing a post about why they think she’s amazing.
Suddenly, superheroes are back and bigger than ever in movie theatres. But while Spider-Man and Captain America battle for box-office supremacy, my favourite folks in tights hail from a 1999 comedy called Mystery Men. If you haven’t seen the film, it’s about a group of regular-looking folks who manage to save their city from evil, despite their shared lack of rippling muscles and steely glares. And though their superpowers seem mundane—one of the Mystery Men throws forks; another wields a shovel; their female compatriot uses her bowling ball in pursuit of justice—their dedication to doing the right thing (spoiler alert!) helps them win the day. All of this despite their ordinariness—and maybe even because of it.
Read more: Hollywood superheroes and their babies>
Everyday heroes are all around us. They don’t play it for laughs like the Mystery Men did, and maybe they don’t save a whole city, but each and every day they are drying tears, wiping noses, administering hugs, making ends meet, teaching kids how to recycle, heading up school fundraisers. I’m talking about moms: women just like you who, in the course of raising their families and taking care of their households are accomplishing extraordinary things.
And even if you don’t think you’re extraordinary, Walmart Canada does. The retailer launched the Mom of the Year program in 2012 as a way to celebrate and give back to moms for everything they do. The core of the program is an ever-growing website (walmart.ca/mom) where Canadians can nominate a mom in their lives simply by writing a post about why they think she’s amazing. Nomination takes only a few minutes, and qualifies your favourite mom to receive up to $10,000 for herself, plus $10,000 for the charity of her choice. Even more importantly, your post stays on the website so the entire world can know how amazing the mom you nominated really is. (The deadline for nominations this year is May 23.)
Read more: 4 amazing Olympic moms>
Winners will be named in five categories—does one of these sound like you (or a mom in your life)?
• Community champion—maybe she’s the lady who ran a grassroots fundraising campaign to renovate the local rec centre • Smart saver—she could be a single mom whose miraculous ability to shop strategically and stretch a dollar keeps food on the table • Environmental superstar—this could be the lady who polices the school’s recycling program, or organizes a community clean-up each spring • Everyday hero—her quick thinking and selflessness may have saved an unsteady young cyclist from wobbling into the road; maybe she volunteered to help families rebuild in the wake of a natural disaster • Loving caregiver—she’s the lady who has put her career on hold to look after an ill child or an aging parent
Every mom is one of these ladies. See? You are a superhero. No rippling muscles, capes or spandex required.
Check out walmart.ca/mom today for more information about Mom of the Year.
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