April 29, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Fatherhood Initiative Honors Great Dads At 2008 Fatherhood Awards™ Gala

Diverse Group From Sports, Political, Military, Literary, and Philanthropic worlds Awarded

( WASHINGTON, DC) – At the 11th Annual Fatherhood Awards™ Gala, National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) presented the 2008 Fatherhood Awards™ to a group of individuals and corporations doing exemplary work to promote involved, responsible, and committed fatherhood.

The recipients were: Lt. Col. Donald Canning of the Salvation Army; Theodore Ginn, Sr., football coach and mentor; Michael McCreesh, Best Life magazine’s Hero Dad; Samuel McNabb, Founder & President of the National Football Players Fathers Association; and The Three Doctors: Rameck Hunt, MD, George Jenkins, DMD, and Sampson Davis, MD. Additionally, the 2nd Annual National Fatherhood Initiative-Lockheed Martin Military Fatherhood Award was presented to Sergeant First Class Brian Booker, Mississippi Army National Guard. Senator Evan Bayh, Senator Richard Shelby, and Mayor Tom Barrett of Milwaukee were presented with Community Impact Fatherhood Awards™.

The following corporations were awarded for their father-friendly marketing campaigns – Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Herr Foods, Inc., and Northwestern Mutual.

ABC7/WJLA-TV news anchor Leon Harris emceed the event, which was held at the Grand Hyatt Washington.

Roland C. Warren, president of NFI, said, “This year’s winners have demonstrated a devotion to fatherhood that is transforming the way our nation views the roles of fathers in children’s lives. Our corporate awardees, through their advertising and business practices, are also providing a model that will transform our culture and inspire and encourage fathers to be the best dads they can be.”

For his passionate devotion to his family and to our nation, NFI honored SFC Brian S. Booker with the NFI-Lockheed Martin Military Fatherhood Award™. NFI honored Lt. Col. Donald Canning for the work he has done to promote involved, responsible, and committed fatherhood to those he serves through The Salvation Army. Coach Theodore Ginn, Sr. received the award for his dedication to his children and to those he mentors as one of the nation’s top

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high school football coaches. NFI awarded Michael McCreesh for his dedication to his family and fighting childhood cancer, highlighted by the 2007 Best Life magazine Hero Dad contest. Samuel McNabb was honored for his role as a father and for founding the National Football Players Fathers Association. NFI awarded The Three Doctors for highlighting the national epidemic of father absence and the importance of healing and renewal between fathers and children, through their bestselling book, The Bond.

Senator Richard Shelby and Senator Evan Bayh received Community Impact Fatherhood Awards™ for their work to promote public policy and legislation that encourages involved, responsible, and committed fatherhood. Mayor Tom Barrett was honored with a Community Impact Fatherhood Award™ for his efforts to promote involved, responsible, and committed fatherhood in the city of Milwaukee.

Anheuser-Busch was honored for its father-friendly broadcast advertisement titled, “Daddy’s Girl”, which is part of its Responsibility Matters “Prevent, Don’t Provide” campaign. Herr Foods, Inc. was awarded for its HIS chip campaign which promoted responsible fatherhood on specially branded bags of Herr’s potato chips. Northwestern Mutual was honored for its father-friendly television broadcast advertisement titled, “Swimming Hole.

Inaugurated in 1997, the Fatherhood Awards are presented each year to individuals, corporations, and organizations that make a substantial contribution to the strengthening of involved, responsible, and committed fatherhood in their work or personal lives. Past Fatherhood Awardees include: actors James Earl Jones and Tom Selleck; country music superstar Tim McGraw; author Dr. Stephen Covey; news anchors Tim Russert and Neil Cavuto; NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly; IBM, Johnson & Johnson, and Chevrolet.

 

The premier fatherhood renewal organization in the country, the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) works in every sector and at every level of society to engage fathers in the lives of their children. NFI's national public service advertising campaign promoting fatherhood has generated television, radio, print, Internet, and outdoor advertising valued at over $500 million. Through its resource center, FatherSOURCE, NFI offers a wide range of innovative resources to assist fathers and organizations interested in reaching and supporting fathers.