MILWAUKEE — I came to Sherman Park to speak with Andre Lee Ellis, the host for the 36th annual Father's Day celebration.
"At 10 am we have a prayer. At 12 o'clock the festivities begin. Expect a lot of fathers and families that are calm and being real kind and good to each other. [There's] free food and all kinds of information and resources that they can leave the park with," said Lee Ellis.
After 36 years I wanted to know what makes volunteers and himself keep doing the event.
"Because it's needed and many household fathers aren't present. And many children live fathers aren't present. This is a chance for them to come out and maybe meet not their birth dad, but the 'earth dad'," said Lee Ellis.
I asked him why he felt it's important we support fathers.
"Because we're important to life. We give that we're a very important part of life. So that children in this neighborhood particularly see men working and doing something in the community, because fathers in the community are often given a bad rap, and we know the good men in the community. So we provide this event so fathers can come and share and then children and families that don't necessarily have a father there can come and see what men that look like they should be in the household do," said Lee Ellis.
"The hope is that men who have children will go and get them. The other hope is that the community will see that a part of what's messing our children up is that we need to slow down. Slow down in the fast cars, in the high-speed chases. Slow down in your life. If we would just use more love, come together for that purpose to do it for the children and the community, I believe we'll have a Happy Father's Day." said Lee Ellis.
This celebration will take place on Sunday, June 16th, 2024, from 12 noon to 6 pm at Sherman Park, 3000 N. Sherman Blvd with morning community prayer taking place between 9:45 10 am.
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