Thursday, June 10^th, the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas honored 20 local Dads as 2008  YMCA Father of the Year.  These Dads were honored at a family event at Speedzone with dinner and an evening of family fun.

 Locally, David Morgan was honored as the Richardson Family YMCA Father of the year. Morgan was nominated by his in-laws Dave and Sharon Birkey of Spicewood, Texas,  his wife, Leticia and  their two sons.    

The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas established the “Father of the Year” award to recognize the significant impact fathers make in the lives of their children.  Each year, the Dallas YMCAs accept nominations from family members in each local community who wish to honor a father with this special award. Each local YMCA chose a “Father of the Year” from their community.

“Every year we receive so many outstanding nominations for this award,” said Gordon Echtenkamp, President/CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas.  “Narrowing the field is always a difficult task, yet we realize what wonderful and positive parenting is happening on a daily basis in our community.”                                               

Father’s Day, in its present form, was created at the Spokane, Washington YMCA in 1909.  The YMCA and the Spokane Minister’s Alliance swiftly endorsed the idea and helped it spread, holding the first ever Father’s Day celebration on June   10, 1910.  In 1916, President Wilson officially recognized Father’s Day, President Coolidge recommended it in 1924, and in 1971, President Nixon and Congress issued proclamations and endorsements of Father’s Day as a national tradition.