Welcome to The Toolbox, the official e-newsletter of Dads, Inc!    

Not only is Father's Day our biggest holiday because we get to celebrate the good things about dads, but it also marks the anniversary of the founding of Dads, Inc.  This year marks our 2nd Anniversary, and we're looking forward to many more to come.

"It really seems like just yesterday that we started this thing.  I can't believe how much we've been able to accomplish in just two short years.  But we would never be where we are without the support of so many wonderful, people, organizations, and businesses.  We look forward to continue to build our relationships, and we are eagerly anticipating the next two years!"

Fatherhood Hall of Fame Inductees

This being the week of Father’s Day, Dads, Inc. is pleased to announce the initial class of inductees into the Fatherhood Hall of Fame.  This distinctive honor is given to those fathers who are chosen based on their work with, commitment to, and example of positive fathering.  The Fatherhood Hall of Fame was created by Dads, Inc. as a vehicle for raising awareness about the importance of active and involved fathering.

The inductees into the Fatherhood Hall of Fame Class of 2007 are:

Ø       Mr. Tony Dungy, Head Coach of the World Champion Indianapolis Colts

Ø       Hon. Evan Bayh, United States Senator and former Governor of Indiana

Ø       Mr. Anthony Wallace, Founder of Security Dads

The Impact Award is given to an individual(s) who have made a significant impact on the ability of Dads, Inc. to provide services to Central Indiana fathers & families.  The first recipients are:

Ø       Forrest & Charlotte Lucas, Owners of Lucas Oil

The Volunteer of the Year Award is given to an individual(s) who have contributed significant personal time to advance the mission of Dads, Inc.  The first recipients are:

Ø       Rodney Brown & Lonnie Hinkle, Jiffy Lube of Indiana

The recipients will be inducted & receive their award at the Inaugural Fatherhood Hall of Fame Induction Dinner, which will be held on Tuesday, September 25, 2007 in the Pavilion of the World Champion Indianapolis Colts Complex.  This dinner will be the first major charitable event for Dads, Inc., and is set to become the organization’s signature event.  Along with the dinner, there will be a small live & silent auction.  Mr. Armin Brott, better known as America’s most trusted Dad ™, will be the Keynote Speaker.  Mr. Brott has authored seven books on fatherhood, has appeared on several national media shows, and is the CEO of Mr. Dad.

If you have any questions or are interested in attending, hosting a sponsorship table and/or contributing a donation to the Inaugural Fatherhood Hall of Fame Induction Dinner, please contact Dads, Inc. at (317) 639.6106 x 271.  Individual tickets will be $50 and will be available for purchase later this summer.

Dads, Inc. Announces New Board of Directors Members

Dads, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of three new board members: Jimmy Dulin,

Eric Enochs and Matthew Wise.

Mr. Jimmy Dulin has more than 15 years of experience in representing buyers and sellers in the Central Indiana market as a Broker/Owner of Re/Max Ability Plus. A member of the elite Re/Max Chairman's Club, Jimmy credits his success to being highly disciplined and goal oriented, and is known for his interpersonal skills, relationship building, and providing complete customer satisfaction. His sales volume for 2006 was over 20 million, and he has sold over 200 million during the course of his career. Jimmy is a dedicated family-man and lives in Carmel with his wife, Tamara, and their children JD and Alexandra. He is an active parishioner at St. Luke's Catholic Church and involved with The Realtor Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors. Jimmy has numerous hobbies which include cooking, cars, and golf.

Mr. Eric Enochs is a Systems Engineer for Turner Construction Company, located in Indianapolis. He earned his Associates degree in Computer Information Systems from Ivy Tech. He is a single father of two wonderful children, Kayla and Ethan. After his divorce in 2003, he has been actively involved in helping single fathers in Indianapolis through various organizations, and by co-founding IndyDads, an interactive resource site for dads in Indiana. Eric and his two children currently reside in Greenfield, Indiana.

Mr. Matthew Wise is a member of Katz, Sapper & Miller’s Audit and Assurance Services Group. He audits and reviews financial statements, prepares tax returns, and advises clients in accounting, reporting, compliance, and internal control matters. He received a Bachelors of Business Administration degree in Accounting and a Bachelors of Science degree in Computer Applications from the University of Notre Dame. Matthew is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Indiana CPA Society, and the Institute of Internal Auditors. He is the treasurer of Jameson Camp, Inc. on the finance committee of Scecina High School, and a member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish, Knights of Columbus, University of Notre Dame Alumni Association, the Emerging Leaders Alliance of the Indiana CPA Society and Young Professionals of Central Indiana.

Already, these three gentlemen have provided tremendous support to the advancement of Dads, Inc.  We are looking forward to what is in store for the future for Dads, Inc. with the tremendous help and dedication of these individuals on our team!

Executive Director of Dads, Inc., Christopher Maples has launched the Fit Father Challenge this past Memorial Day. The Challenge is for Maples to lose as much weight as he can between

Memorial Day and Labor Day, and he is asking for pledges from the public for each pound he loses.

The tax-deductible “Pound Pledges” will be made to Dads, Inc. in order to create classes and programs that teach and encourage healthy and fit lifestyles for fathers and their children.  He also hopes other fathers will take notice and examine the lifestyle they are modeling to their children, and then join him in the Challenge.  To lead by example, Maples is pledging $3.00 for every pound lost.

Maples got the idea after reading about the findings of a study released this month in Australia.  The study surveyed 5,000 children between the ages of 4 and 5, and their parents.  The study found a direct correlation between the degree to which fathers were active in their children’s lives and the children’s Body Mass Index (BMI) number. 

“This study serves as a wake-up call to dads, and it also compliments other findings published by the National Fatherhood Initiative that indicates that dads BMI and level of activity are very often mirrored by their children,” says Maples.  “As men and as fathers, we have not only financial, but more importantly, emotional obligations and responsibilities to our children and our families that we can only fulfill if we are alive and healthy.”

To make Pound Pledges or to find out how you can participate in the Fit Father Challenge, please contact Christopher Maples directly by email at maples@dadsinc.org, or by phone at (317) 506-8499.

Our VISTA Summer Internship program kicked off at the end of May, and they're hard at work making huge contributions to Dads, Inc.

We are very happy to have the following individuals on board for the Summer Internship program:

Jennifer Baltz (IUPUI)

Colin Darcy (Notre Dame)

Feliza-Rose Vasquez David (IUPUI)

Sarah Dudley (Franklin)

Amanda Gillum (Franklin)

                                        Michael Hutchens (Wabash)

                                        Kimberly Jaeger (IUPUI)

                                        Laura Jay (Anderson)

                                        Anna Koerner (University of Indianapolis)

                                        Matthew Latorre (IUPUI)
                                        Christopher Lowe (IUPUI)

                                        Bryan Mitchell (IUPUI)     

If you haven't visited www.dadsinc.org lately, make sure to check us out!

We have recently uploaded several new articles, media clips, events and updates to the site.  One cool new feature is a blog that our Executive Director maintains that gives the reader an inside look at Dads, Inc. and offers quips on fatherhood.

There has been alot included, and expect more additions and updates to the site as well, so keep checking periodically for the most recent news about Dads, Inc.!

Every month, The Toolbox will provide an easy and fun activity for fathers and children to enjoy at home! 

Summer is here and its time to barbeque!  So instead of giving your dad another tie this year, make him an apron that shows he is the "King of the BBQ"!

Materials and Tools

Plain apron

Gold glitter craft paint (Tulip paint)

Fabric markers (brown, black and red)

Lime green 3D fabric paint

                                   Household sponge

                                   Scissors

                                   Cardboard

Directions

1. Wash and dry apron to remove sizing, a material used in new clothing to make it crisp, and do not use fabric softener.
2. Lay apron out on flat surface. Iron out creases if necessary.
3. Place cardboard underneath apron to keep paint from seeping through onto work surface.
4. Using scissors, cut a triangle and square out of a household sponge.
5. Saturate sponge pieces with water and wring out as much excess water as possible.
6. Squeeze out some gold fabric paint onto a paper plate.
7. Dip the triangular sponge into the paint, then press paint onto the apron. Use the photo as a guide for placement.
8. Repeat this process to create three triangles next to each other for the points of the crown.
9. Using this same method with the square shaped sponge, create the band of the crown below the points.
10. Using a black fabric marker, write the word “KING” in capital letters at the top of the apron, above the crown. Outline the black letters with the brown fabric marker.
11. Below the crown, write the words “of the” in brown fabric marker.
12. Below that, use the red fabric marker to write “BBQ” in large capital letters.
13. Once all the writing is finished, use the gold glitter fabric paint tube to outline the crown.
14. Add a gold dot to the top of each triangle and a few green dots below that. Decorate the band of the crown with gold dots as well.
15. Allow the apron to dry completely, at least overnight.

Craft courtesy of Kids Domain Crafts