George’s prize is an all-expenses paid seven-night family cruise for four from Royal Caribbean International and a $500 gift card from Target.
His wife, Kristin, was given a pair of men’s bikini underwear decorated with flames.
“This is awesome! Who would have thought?” said George minutes after the show ended. “It all went so fast, I was just having fun and they called my name and I wasn’t sure how to react. Hopefully I did Dayton proud!”
We’ve been keeping up with the Georges’ since David, who played football for the University of Dayton, was first announced as a finalist in the online contest more than two weeks ago. His wife submitted a photo of her husband and their infant baby girl in the “Newbie Dads” division of the competition.
Liz Zack, editorial director of contest sponsor iVillage.com, also appeared on the show for the announcement.
“This was truly a beauty contest. We thought it would be a fun way to celebrate these guys who get up with the baby and go to the grocery store,” Zack said in the green room after the program. “This is David and Kristin’s first Father’s Day and they are lovely human beings.”
She said with 55 percent of the votes in his category — the highest percentage of category votes in the ‘Hot Dads’ contest — the iVillage editors weren’t the only ones who appreciated David George’s good looks.
Before the big announcement, George and the three other finalists participated in a guessing game with Kotb and Kathie Lee focused on the nutritional value of ballpark foods. Monday night, after doing some sightseeing in New York, the couple met with folks from iVillage.
George said he tried to read the faces of the iVillage representatives who had already picked a winner but said they managed to maintain “a poker face.”
“I was trying to look at the cue cards on the show,” he said, but admitted he couldn’t see those either.
Kristin George called the experience “absolutely amazing.”
“I always thought he was the hottest dad and now America knows it too,” she said proudly.
After a series of interviews, the couple planned to head for Ground Zero and Times Square. Neither has previously been to New York.
They say they aren’t yet sure when they will take their cruise or who will be invited to go along. But they do know it will be a heck of a way to mark their first anniversary.
“This has been a whirlwind with one heck of an exclamation point!” said David George.
View the "Hot Dad" Contest winners and read about what they love most about being a dad and how they keep their marriages strong.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2440 or MMoss@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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