Welcome to our Photo Contest! We created this new national celebration to
unite NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) families while raising funds to ensure Hand to Hold support services remain free to all NICU and bereaved families across the US. 100% of all proceeds will directly benefit Hand to Hold, a 501(C)(3) nonprofit that provides vital support, educational resources and community for NICU parents.
The contest is free to enter and open to
all NICU graduates. 1 in 7 babies are admitted to the NICU each year in the U.S. Some stay for a few days for monitoring, while others may stay for many months as they overcome challenges associated with prematurity, low birth weight, birth defects or major medical issues, such as heart defects. "NICU Graduation" is an emotional and celebratory milestone for families regardless of the duration. When a baby is born early or with special healthcare concerns, milestones have a very different meaning.
Win great prizes! Enter your favorite "Then" & "Now" photos of your child to win a coveted spot in the 2025 NICU Grad Then & Now Calendar, gifts for your child's NICU team and much more. The top vote earner will be on the cover of the calendar!
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frequently asked questions about the contest and calendar.
Guarantee a Calendar Spot for your NICU Grad
Reserve a Day
Only 1 spot available for each calendar day. Choose your NICU grad’s Then or Now photo and secure a very exclusive spot on their birthday or NICU graduation day. This allows you to celebrate your NICU grad in a unique and thoughtful way, with 100% of proceeds directly supporting NICU families through Hand to Hold®, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit.
Reserve Your Day →Reserve a VIP Spot
Only 26 spots, hurry and get yours now! Choose your NICU grad’s Then & Now photos and secure a coveted spot on the reverse side of the wall calendar cover page for our 2025 NICU Grad Then & Now Calendar. This allows you to celebrate your NICU grad year round and give back, with 100% of proceeds directly supporting NICU families through Hand to Hold®, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit.
Reserve Your VIP Spot →Reserve a Month
Only 2 spots available for each month! Choose your NICU grad’s Then & Now pictures and select your NICU grads special month in our 2025 NICU Grad Then & Now Calendar. This allows you to celebrate your NICU grad’s birthday month or NICU graduation month year round and give back, with 100% of proceeds directly supporting NICU families through Hand to Hold®, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit.
Reserve Your Month →
Prizes
Grand Prize Winner (1)
On top of the 1st place category prizes, the Grand Prize winner will receive:
- An additional $250 Visa gift card for the NICU graduate
- 5 additional 2025 NICU Grad Then & Now calendars
1st place in All Youth Categories (High School & Younger) (6)
- Featured in the 2025 NICU Grad Then & Now calendar
- 5 free 2025 NICU Grad Then & Now calendars
- $200 Visa gift card for the NICU graduate
- $150 gift card for your child's NICU hospital team to use towards educational resources for their NICU
- $75 gift card for NICU Grad merchandise from the Hand to Hold store
- Featured on Huggies® social media during the month of May
- Featured on Hand to Hold's social media during the month of May
Runner-up in All Youth Categories (High School & Younger) (6)
- Featured in the 2025 NICU Grad Then & Now calendar
- 2 free 2025 NICU Grad Then & Now calendars
- $100 Visa gift card for the NICU graduate
- $100 gift card for your child's NICU hospital team to use towards educational resources for their NICU.
- $50 gift card for NICU Grad merchandise from the Hand to Hold store
- Featured on Hand to Hold's social media during the month of May
1st place in the Class of '05 & Earlier: Adult Grads (1)
- $200 Visa gift card for the NICU graduate
- Featured on Hand to Hold's Social Media during the month of May
Runner-Up in the Class of '05 & Earlier: Adult Grads (1)
- $100 Visa gift card for the NICU graduate
- Featured on Hand to Hold's Social Media during the month of May
Hand to Hold® is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) that is dedicated to providing personalized emotional support, education and community to parents who have had children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or have experienced the loss of a baby. Hand to Hold is removing barriers for support by growing a hybrid model of in-person and virtual support in service to their mission. Hand to Hold provided 62,000 sessions of support to NICU parents in 2024.
Support is provided in English or Spanish to parents at no cost to families, and all support is designed with the emotional, physical and social needs of the NICU parent. For more information, visit HandToHold.org.
Huggies® has been a national sponsor of Hand to Hold since 2016. Huggies® sponsorship helps to make all Hand to Hold support free to all NICU families across the US. Huggies® has been instrumental in helping Hand to Hold to innovate, scale and grow its impact across the country. As the founding sponsor of Hand to Hold's virtual support groups, mobile app and national NICU conference, Huggies® has helped remove barriers for thousands of NICU parents to receive support, community and educational resources.
For more than 40 years, Huggies® has been helping parents provide love, care and reassurance to their babies. From developing innovative, everyday products for babies to partnering with NICU nurses to develop a special diaper and wipes line for the most fragile babies, Huggies® is dedicated to helping ensure all babies get the care they need to thrive. For more information on product offerings or our community efforts, please visit Huggies.com.
