Every year we allocate a day in June to celebrate Fathers. But, do you know the history behind it?
Father's Day was founded in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd, who was born in Arkansas. The nation's first Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910 in the Spokane, WA YMCA. Sonora Dodd's father, the Civil War veteran, William Jackson Smart, was a single parent who raised his six children there.
However, it was not until 1972–58 years after President Woodrow Wilson made Mother's Day official–that the day honoring fathers became a nationwide holiday in the United States.
Fathers are important! Fathers are acknowledged as important influences on children in every society. Fathers may provide protection, material resources, direct and/or indirect care and emotional nurturing, as well as serve as social role models.
If you have a father who has loved and sacrificed for you, acknowledge him on this special day. Honor him and give him the love and respect he deserves.
Blessings,
Leslie Lakes, Director P.A.T.H.
Image: Pen art drawing on handkerchief/panos by anonymous incarcerated artist. Measures 17” x18”