My Dad Rocks brunch will highlight men’s influence
An event Saturday will show the import role men can play in improving their communities, said Celeste Didlick-Davis, owner of 3 R Development and organizer of the program.
The annual My Dad Rocks brunch will be held at the Robert “Sonny” Hill Community Center in Middletown and will include free health screenings, financial assistance information, and conversations regarding community health and mentoring, she said.
“Your health is your wealth,” Didlick-Davis said. “If you don’t feel good, then you may respond differently. We will look at important avenues and what makes a community healthy.”
Too many times, especially in the media, fathers are portrayed as “deadbeat dads,” she said.
It’s time that fathers, and those men without children, are celebrated for their contributions, said Didlick-Davis.
“Responsibility is not a myth,” she said. “It does exist.”
Two local men, the late Odell N. Wize and Yudell Hightower, will be honored during a special tribute portion of the program. She said these men, through hard work and perseverance, taught their children character.
“Children are the legacy we leave behind for the world to see,” Didlick-Davis said, paraphrasing Aristotle.
Then she added: “Men need to come out and celebrate each other. No contribution is too small. You have something of value to pass on.”
She said it’s important for fathers, especially Black and Brown men, to help their children “start at a better place” than they did growing up due to racial barriers.
Individuals are encouraged to submit tributes to their fathers and mentors by emailing them to info@3rdevelopment.org no later than 5 p.m. Friday.