Steve Grumann and family. Steve will be honored on June 3rd as a Platinum Dad by The Father Center of New Jersey.

Ludovic Andre teaches during the Healthy Relationships, Healthy Choices Program in Trenton. Ludovic will be honored on June 3rd as a Platinum Dad by The Father Center of New Jersey.

Tom McManimon communicates with a future frontline worker. Tom is one of five extraordinary fathers honored on June 3rd as a Platinum Dad by The Father Center of New Jersey.

Father’s Day is around the corner, meaning that The Father Center of New Jersey’s annual event to honor extraordinary dads is also about to take place! The agency started in 1859 as an orphanage and will be celebrating 30 years of fatherhood programming during a “Father Family Fun Day” hosted at the Team 85 Fitness Center in Bordentown. Each year, The Father Center honors incredible dads who are role models in their homes, jobs, and communities. For June 3rd, the team at The Father Center organized what they are calling a Father Family Fun Day, where families of all shapes and sizes will gather from 10 AM to 2 PM and are encouraged to playfully participate in pick-up basketball games, video games, and collaborative activities planned by partnering nonprofits such as Girls on the Run and the Trenton Circus Squad.

Karen Andrade-Mims, the CEO of The Father Center, stated, “This year, I wanted to make sure that we celebrated big because 30 years of consistent fatherhood programming is an accomplishment worthy of applause, and it took a kind, generous, and compassionate village to set the stage for our success! We are thrilled to host this event at Team 85 and offer a delicious lunch by the talented chefs and cooks at Trenton’s 1911 Smoke House BBQ. We also wanted the tickets to be very affordable, so for $5.00 each; attendees will enjoy a yummy meal and hours of family fun!” Tickets are currently on sale, but going fast, and seats are limited, so Karen encouraged everyone to purchase their spots as soon as possible at the following link: https://www.thefathercenter.org/platinum-dads/  Event proceeds will go toward Operation Fatherhood and The Father Center’s award-winning employment programs. Sponsorships for this event and all of the remaining 30th Anniversary events to take place in 2023 are still available at this link: https://thefathercenter.networkforgood.com/projects/190179-30-years-of-fatherhood-sponsorship

Congratulations to the five fathers who will be honored on June 3rd :

Ludovic Andre, a father of three, gives back to youth in his community through gardening and as a certified yoga instructor. Ludovic is the manager of the Farmers Market in Lawrenceville and also works closely in a mentoring role with the youth in TFCNJ’s Healthy Relationships Healthy Choices program.

Known as the “Mayor of Warren Street,”  Joe Festa, at age 87, continues to deliver “wit, wisdom & wealth of soul” to the devoted customers at State Barbershop, owner for 62 years. Joe has three successful daughters and six grandchildren. He and his wife Marie have been married for 58 years. Joe grew up in Trenton and fell prey to the streets when a judge ordered him to get a job or go to jail; he became the apprentice of a Warren Street barber, who he credits for saving his life!

Steven Grumann is the father of three who tailored his parenting approach to each according to their individual needs. Steve’s middle son is neurodiverse and diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Steve always supported his children’s various interests, from baseball to marching band, and founded Neuro Diverse Living to offer adults with autism or other intellectual disabilities the opportunity to live as independently as possible. Steve is committed to making the world a better place for his children and others in the community.

Born and raised in Trenton, Gary Jennings got caught up in the streets where the allure can be overwhelming and seductive. Gary’s life was transformed by becoming a father who understood the assignment and recognized that he wanted something better for his kids. Gary is very involved in his son’s academic and athletic development. He is a change agent in the community and gives back to others to help them avoid the pitfalls he experienced.

Tom McManimon, the owner of StimulusBrand Communications, an advertising and marketing company, is a published author, motivational speaker, and musician. Overcoming a global crisis, a health and career crisis, and the grips of addiction in his family, Tom used the trials in life and the leading example of family members to make him an outstanding father. Few people demonstrate and appreciate life, family, and fatherhood more than Tom.

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