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Rally Held For 100th Anniversary Of Father's Day

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Jun 21, 2009 4:22 pm US/Mountain

Rally Held For 100th Anniversary Of Father's Day

Written by Michelle Griego
Reporting
Michelle Griego
DENVER (CBS4) ― Hundreds of people gathered at City Park on Saturday to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Father's Day and the importance of fatherhood.

"I love being a dad," said Victor Merchant, a father of two. "These guys have been just amazing."

Celebrating Father's Day is special to Merchant but even more precious is the time he spends with his children.

"As a society we should promote good fatherhood, we should promote men being in the home with their children and being there present," said Gov. Bill Ritter at the rally.

According to the national fatherhood initiative, almost 25 million children live apart from their dads.

In 2006, Colorado was given a grant to fund programs that give men the tools to be productive dads. Twenty-eight of the programs are now funded by the grant and 14 of them are in the Denver metro area.

"A lot of fathers get in thinking this just comes natural. Well nothing comes natural anymore," said Rob Thomas, director of Got Fatherhood and father of two. "Anything that is worth having is worth working for."

No matter how much they love their children, dads know some days are more challenging than others.

"A lot of times I'm tired but I stay up and I make sure I spend that time with them," said Dwayne Meeks, founder of Urban Colors and father of three.

Listening to the kids, it's those small gestures that really pay off.

"He's a good dad," said Sadique Meeks, a 7-year old. "He keeps us close to him and I love my dad very much."

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper said children who grow up connected to their dads are healthier inside and out.

"They do better in school, they're less likely to drop out and by every measure they have richer and more fulfilling lives," said Hickenlooper.

Simple activities such as coloring or riding bikes can strengthen a lifetime bond.

"It doesn't have to be creative -- go for a walk, get a ball, go to the park," Meeks said. "The kids are not putting value on what you're doing, he's putting value on how you're doing it with him."

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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