Foremost Foods introduced Chamoorita in 1979 to make drinking milk enticing to children. The cow, with her friendly smile and the hibiscus flower adorning her head, first began appearing in Foremost print ads in January of that year. She took a break for a while before returning to the company’s print ads again in 1981. She was still just “the cow” and while it was clear she had appeal, what she didn’t have was a name – but that was soon to change.

In 1984, Foremost Foods launched an island-wide competition among the public elementary schools to name the cow. The prize was a shiny, new red BMX bicycle and some delicious treats from Foremost Foods. Lots of children entered, but there was only one winner: 5-year-old Shauna Santos. Shauna’s entry is a portmanteau of “chamorrita,” the local word for a little Chamorro girl, and “moo,” the sound associated with cows. “I almost didn’t enter,” said Shauna, “but I really wanted that bike.”

The newly named Chamoorita continued to appear in Foremost Foods ads for many years and on milk cartons. Foremost also had a costume made so that Chamoorita could make public appearances, visiting sick children in the hospital and bringing smiles to their faces. Eventually, the company had a special statue made and when they moved to their location on Marine Corps Drive, the statue was placed on top of the roadside billboard.

Today, Chamoorita greets Foremost Foods employees and visitors in Barrigada Heights where the company relocated in 2013.