Donuts with Dads event focuses on fatherly relationships
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Fatherly relationship was the topic of discussion in a Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship’s gym Friday as dads, uncles and grandfathers joined their children for some donuts and coffee.
“I think this is cool,” said Gavin Bowen as he sat with his 6-year-old son, Mosiah. “It’s just dad being with his kid.”
The Bowens were two out of around 200 male role models and their children – students at the school – who gathered in the school’s gymnasium for its annual Donuts with Dads event.
The breakfast is held every year “to get male role models … involved with the school and focusing on the importance of fatherly relationships,” according to the school’s information about the event.
As he addressed the dads, State Rep. Ed Gainey, D-Lincoln-Lemington, said he was “an adult able to do adult things” until being a father to his daughter made him into a man.
“She made me a man. I call her my change-agent baby,” he said. “When I held her, I didn’t want her to see a male who just grew old. I wanted her to see me as a man who grew up.”
The politician attended the event and shared as a guest speaker. He thanked the men who attended the event for “coming together for the love of their children.”
Terrence Griffin Jr., of Pittsburgh, sat with his son, Terrence, who was drawing a picture before eating a donut. It was Griffin’s third year coming to the event.
“It’s a good chance to get guys involved with their children’s education – to wish them continued success for the school year. I want to make sure he knows he has my support,” he said, looking at his son – who said his favorite subjects in school are math and Spanish.
Penn Hills Charter School focuses on business education for children in kindergarten through eighth grade.
The school incorporates the MicroSociety educational program — one that was developed in the 1990s by a Brooklyn teacher who wanted to include real-life learning, according to the Microsociety.org website.
The charter school has 422 students enrolled from six districts in Allegheny County, including Penn Hills, Pittsburgh, Gateway, New Kensington, Plum and Woodland Hills.
The event’s MC was David Houston, the charter school’s PTA President. He shared a story about how he overcame obesity shortly after his children were born.
Houston said he lost 150 pounds and currently works out every day for 90 minutes – a routine he’s worked up to.
“I want to be the best friend, husband and father I can be. But if I don’t take care of myself, I can’t possibly take care of the ones I love,” he said.
He encouraged the men to “play big – don’t play small” when it comes to being fatherly.