CLEVELAND — Sunny weather this week will come in handy for the 20th annual Fathers Walk happening Thursday across Cuyahoga County.
The Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative started 20 years ago, and the organization, along with its partners, has seen the event grow.
This year, organizers say more than 200 schools and some 25,000 men are expected to participate.
The idea is to encourage fathers, uncles, grandfathers—any father figure—to walk with their child or loved one to school and become more engaged in what they’re doing there.
“Meet their teachers, agree to come back for parent-teacher conferences, volunteer at the school, and stay involved all year round,” said Al Grimes, director of the Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative. “We don't want this just to be a one-shot thing. We do it every year at the first of the year for fathers to get acquainted with what's going on in school and make a pact to be involved in their children's educational lives throughout their lives.”
Grimes said data shows children with involved fathers are less likely to drop out of school, live in poverty or face teen pregnancy.
“It's a message about both parents being involved. Whether you're living in the same house or not, we still want both parents to be involved in raising their children,” Grimes said.
CMSD's involvement
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District has a webpage dedicated to the walk.
Anthony Brown is the Program Manager for Family and Community Engagement for CMSD.
He said the Father Walk is symbolic for the district.
“I like to call it a transformative experience across all schools and all grade levels,” Brown said. “That you matter. That fathers matter. That a male's involvement matters. That the importance of being intentional about engaging the male figure in a scholar's life.”
Brown wants everyone to know the walk is for elementary, middle, and high school students and their fathers or father figures.
“I always tell every father and I tell every school, imagine this being like a Father’s Day just in the month of September,” Brown said. “I'm even encouraging fathers or men to just stand in the gap… if you can go to a school and applaud and encourage a scholar as they're walking into the building.”
He said that, in conjunction with the walk, some schools are also hosting literacy programming, workshops, and other opportunities to get resources. Brown said some of those special additions are happening during lunch time and even after school.
Each school handles the walk differently, but men will get a pledge card and sticker to proudly show their participation.
Those interested in participating are encouraged to contact their child's or loved one’s specific school or the Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative at 216-348-3967.
I asked Grimes how it feels to be marking the walk’s 20th anniversary.
“It's great. It's a great feeling. It means that the message is getting out. The message is effective,” Grimes said.
Grimes said work helping to build strong and effective fathers happens year-round. He encourages men to link up with the Fatherhood Initiative for a wealth of resources and support.
“I fund 11 programs year-round that help fathers meet both the financial needs and the emotional needs of their children and spread the message on a regular basis through our radio ads, our billboards, and other community resources.”
