Million Dad March at Fry on Sept. 4

Levi Fry Intermediate School is participating in the Million Dad March by encouraging dads to bring their child to school on Tuesday, Sept. 4 at 7:45 a.m. This is a national effort to get fathers involved at school and to help reduce violence in America.  There are 700-plus cities that are expected to participate in the Million Father March 2012, the largest back-to-school initiative in United States' history.

The Million Father March invites fathers, grandfathers, foster fathers, stepfathers, uncles, cousins, big brothers, significant male caregivers and family friends to take children to school on Million Father March Day, Tuesday, September 4, 2012.

These men can walk their child into class and then stop by the library for donuts, hosted by Fry PTO. They will also get information on joining the school’s Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) program that Fry kicked off last year. Please call Levi Fry Intermediate for more information: 409-916-0600. 

More information:

Horrific violence in the United States raises its ugly head in some of the most unlikely places, including movie theaters, churches and schools.  School and home should be the safest place for children, but in recent years, bullying, gang harassment, violent interpersonal conflicts and assault weapons have found their way to the school house door. 

In the war against violence in America, there is a new army of more than one million American men, who are taking to the streets this year in one of the most important battles that America has ever fought—the battle against violence in schools.  The Million Father March will invite fathers, grandfathers, foster fathers, stepfathers, uncles, cousins, big brothers, significant male caregivers and family friends to take children to school on the first day of school in their district or on Million Father March Day, Tuesday, September 4, 2012.

The fathers are janitors, lawyers, doctors, technicians, factory workers, bankers, bus drivers, construction workers, policemen and trash collectors. 

Last year, more than 1,000,000 men in 767 cities across America and around the world took children to school on the first day.  “Education has become a matter of national security.  If we cannot protect children in our schools, what good is it to protect our national borders?” says Phillip Jackson, Executive Director of The Black Star Project, U.S.A. 

Research shows that children whose fathers take an active role in their social and educational lives are less prone to engage in violence.  They also earn better grades, score higher on tests, enjoy school more and are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college.  A good father is part of a good parent team and is critical to creating a strong family structure.  Strong family structures produce children who are more academically proficient, socially developed and self-assured.  Such children become adults who are valuable assets to their communities. 

This year, we are asking fathers and other men to volunteer 10 hours of service to their children's school for a total of 10 million hours of service by the end of the 2012-2013 school year.  We also ask fathers and other men to pledge to support children throughout the year.  The pledge calls for and outlines a year-long commitment to their children and to the schools they attend.  The pledge includes participating in school activities for the benefit of the children, families and communities. Fathers at Fry can do this through our new Watch D.O.G.S. program.

The 2012 Million Father March is managed by The Black Star Project, U.S.A., and sponsored by the Campaign for Black Male Achievement, an initiative of the Open Society Foundations.  Please email blackstar1000@ameritech.net or call 773.285.9600 for more information or to register your school for the Million Father March 2012.