Sixteen local enterprises are prepared to give Augusta’s First Baby of 2009 and his or her family a nice array of gifts.
The First Baby Contest begins at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 1.
There is criteria that must be met before The Gazette will  issue a letter entitling the parents to collect the gifts for the newborn.
• Parents must reside in Augusta or on an Augusta rural postal route within the 67010 ZIP Code.
• The exact time of birth must be certified by the attending physician.
• The birth must be reported to the Augusta Daily Gazette within 24 hours (775-2218).
Page 6 of today’s  newspaper tells what each contest sponsor offers.
There are gift certificates, a savings bond, oil change for the family vehicle, wheel balancing, a package of diapers, a birthday cake, free teeth cleaning for Mom and Dad, a free plumbing  service call, and a basket of baby goodies.
Those gifts will be from Bank of the West, Miller’s 5, Ford of Augusta, Augusta Tire & Auto, Walmart, Drs. Armfield Dentistry, The Fairways, and Go-Mart.
Also sponsoring the gifts for baby and family are A Brown Liquor, Emprise Bank, The Insurance Guys, Augusta Family Practice, Superior Automotive, Williamson Plumbing, Farm Bureau. and Gretchen’s Confections.