The Berwick community came together last Thursday to celebrate fatherhood and promote strong ties between dads, children and the community. From left: Timbarra Primary School principal Jan Adamson, Berwick Salvation Army Captain Craig Exon, school wellbeing manager Linda Duncanson and City of Casey men’s officer Rob Koch.By Rebecca Fraser
DADS and their children bonded in Berwick last week during a night of fun activities and delectable desserts.
The Berwick Salvation Army hosted the Dessert with Dads evening on Thursday in conjunction with nearby Timbarra Primary School and the City of Casey.
Captain Craig Exon, a father of two, said the evening had been a huge success.
He said event organisers had been expecting 60 people to turn up but more than 100 came through the door to enjoy some delicious sweets and discuss the importance of fatherhood.
Mr Exon said those in attendance enjoyed a fun quiz game based on the television show Who Wants to be A Millionaire. Everyone tucked into many delicious desserts and Mr Exon thanked Michel’s Patisserie located at Parkhill Plaza for donating a chocolate sponge cake to the free community event.
“It was all about teaching parents about fatherhood and the importance of being a dad,” he said.
“We are all about building strong families and this was all about being involved in your kids lives and spending quality time together.
Timbarra Primary School wellbeing manager Linda Duncanson said the night had been great and it was nice to work collaboratively with other community agencies.
“It was all about building our community and this is something we would definitely do again,” she said. “We got such positive feedback and more than 80 per cent of people said we definitely needed to hold something like this again.
“The night was both informative and fun and the dads stood up and read a mantra to their children about their commitment to fatherhood.”
Casey acting manager family and children’s services Sharon Bahn said the program provided a forum for both fathers and children and promoted their involvement within the school and broader community.
“The evening supports and highlights the important role dads play in the community and is a wonderful opportunity for agencies and schools to work together,” she said.
