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AMERICA's YMCAS HAVE BEEN CELEBRATING FATHERS SINCE 1910 - WHEN THEY INVENTED THE NATIONAL HOLIDAY

National YMCA parenting study reveals one of the the best Father's Day gifts is a heartfelt compliment

Chicago, June 18, 2004 - In 1909, Sonora Louise Smart heard a Mother's Day sermon and puzzled over why there was no holiday honoring fathers. So she shared her idea with local ministers at a meeting at the Spokane, Wash. YMCA. The first Father's Day celebration took place at the Spokane YMCA in June, William Smart's birth month - on June 19, 1910.

In 1972, President Nixon signed Father's Day into law, and eventually this day dedicated to Dads became an opportunity to lavish gifts and loving gestures on one's father. But according to findings from a national parenting study from YMCA of the USA and Search Institute, one of the best ways to honor fathers isn't by giving them ties or golf balls. The "Building Strong Families" survey of 1,005 parents reveals that lending an ear, telling a father he's doing a good job or other adults offering to spend time with his children would mean more than we think.

Seventy-eight percent of respondents said that talking with other parents about parenting issues would help "very much" or "somewhat." Similarly, 67 percent said that "others telling them they were doing a good job" would help "very much" or "somewhat." And 71 percent wanted trusted adults to spend quality time with their kids.

To celebrate the first Father's Day in 1910, Sonora Smart suggested that fathers be honored through religious services, special meals, small gifts and wearing roses: red for living fathers and white for deceased. A monument to Sonora Smart Dodd, to her father and to all fathers stands at the Spokane YMCA, where today thousands of families enjoy a wide range of family programs.

"In 2004, fathers are enormously involved in their children's lives, as coaches, teachers, role models and confidants, but they often feel very isolated while doing so." said Kenneth L. Gladish, Ph.D., national executive director, YMCA of the USA, the national resource office for America's 2,575 YMCAs.

"As a leading community service organization, YMCAs are committed to identifying what resources parents need, providing family-friendly programming and reassuring them that reaching out for support is a sign of strength, not weakness."

Programs like YMCA Adventure Guides foster understanding and companionship between children and their Dads- and Moms. It features parent-and-child activities like camping, service-learning projects, arts and crafts, music, and storytelling, and emphasizes the role of parents as guides in their child's life. Currently 380 YMCAs offer Adventure Guides programs.

This Father's Day, reach out to the fathers in your life with a pat on the back and an offer to take their children to a baseball game, the zoo or the Y.

"When we support parents, we begin to build strong kids and families, strong communities and a strong nation," said Gladish.

Sonora Louise Smart-Dodd died at the age of 96 but her legacy lives on. A monument to Ms. Smart's holiday stands at the SpokaneYMCA where today thousands of fathers and their children enjoy a wide range of family programs.

The "Building Strong Families" survey was shaped by a panel of outside experts on family and conducted by the Global Strategy Group of New York. Findings were borne out by related Search interviews with many other families of different types, across the U-S. It involved a telephone interview in May 2002 with 1,005 parents with children under 18, margin of error +/-3.1%. Findings follow Search Institute's landmark work on developmental assets for children and set the stage for an ongoing exploration of parents and families. Complete survey findings available at www.abundantassets.org.

The YMCA of the USA is the national resource office for the nation's 2,575 YMCAs, collectively the nation's largest community service organization and largest providers of child care. YMCAs serve 18.9 million people, including 9 million children through a broad range of programs. YMCAs are for people of all faiths, races, ages, abilities and incomes. Many YMCAs offer financial assistance. To learn more visit www.ymca.net.

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Editor's Note: Editors are urged to offer readers this accompanying parenting self-quiz in .pdf format.

For more information or to receive a j-peg photos of the YMCA Father's Day monument and Sonora Smart Dodd, contact:

Media Relations Manager
YMCA of the USA
312-419-8418