The Father Factor

Father's Day week and weekend are always a busy time at NFI. Reminds me a lot of the Christmas season for a retailer..."everything must go!" This year was especially exciting for a number of reasons.

First, I had the pleasure of being at the White House last Friday. As a member of President Obama's Responsible Fatherhood & Healthy Families Taskforce, I accompanied U.S. Navy Chief Quartermaster John Lehnen, who last week received NFI's Military Fatherhood Award. John was part of a five-member panel of fathers who participated in a Town Hall discussion about Responsible Fatherhood with President Obama. We were delighted to bring John's great work as a father to the White House's attention. (Learn more about John and the Military Fatherhood Awards here.) Of note, John had a fantastic time at the event. He met with the President in the Oval office and rode with the President as they went to an event in DC. The White House media folks interviewed John and interspersed his remarks with President Obama's from the Town Hall to create a fantastic video on the President's blog. Check this out.

Second, I has an opportunity to speak at a Father's Day Rally that was held at the Lincoln Memorial. Folks were pretty enthusiastic, despite the rain. I shared this story about how I learned early on my fathering journey what it truly meant to be a dad.

Finally, I closed the day off at the Washington Mystics game. NFI was delighted to partner with the team to promote its "Dads and Daughters" Game. In addition, at half time, I gave a Fatherhood Award to a friend of NFI, Ted Leonsis, who owns the Mystics and the Washington Capitals. Ted is not only a great dad to his children but also a "double duty dad" to other children as well. Amazing guy, indeed.

All in all, it was a great day. Remember, everyday is Father's Day when you are some one's dad...and when you work for NFI!