Dads Making a Difference at Park Village Elementary

Posted on May 31, 2012

by LINDA FRABL | photo by Zeena Gregg Photography

Attention dads: have you ever wanted to volunteer at your child’s school, but felt uneasy because there never seemed to be enough other dads doing so? Don’t fret. Harvey Payne, President of Park Village Elementary School’s D.A.D.S. Group (Dedicated And Determined Support), is making it easy for dads to make a difference.

According to Harvey, the goal of the D.A.D.S. Group is “to enhance our children’s experiences and education through the multiple events and programs we sponsor. We also hope to be an example by showing how important it is to volunteer in order to make our community – or in this case, our school – a better place.”

Founded in 2003 and funded by the Park Village PTA, the group’s first endeavor was the “Lunch With D.A.D.S.” program. The popular monthly dining activity allows fathers to “understand what their child’s world is like at school, enabling them to relate to their child’s day-to-day experiences while forming a closer bond with their child,” explained Harvey.

“We hope to be an example to our kids by showing how important it is to volunteer.”~ Harvey Payne

The D.A.D.S. Group also raises funds for Park Village. Four times a year pizza is sold during Lunch With D.A.D.S. This year alone the lunch dates grossed roughly $2,000. Another fundraising source is the sale of firewood, in which the dads split, load and stack the wood, prior to delivering it directly to the customers’ homes. $1,000 was raised this year due to the vigorous yet spirited efforts contributed by the dads.

The D.A.D.S. Group is always hard at work ensuring the children grow up in a community that is both beautiful and safe. Have you noticed that the corner of Camino Del Sur and Park Village Road has a retaining wall and pavers in front? How about those pavers north of the school’s upper entrance? Thank the D.A.D.S. Group. These men also installed and re-painted much of the school’s fencing.

This year, PTA handed the torch over to the D.A.D.S. Group to organize the Spring Carnival. Other opportunities they provide include movie night, bike safety, recycling and sporting events, a pancake breakfast/car show, a golf tournament and Junior Achievement Day, to name a few.

Harvey adds that the most gratifying aspects of the D.A.D.S. Group are “providing activities that put smiles on the faces of our kids – and parents for that matter – and forming friendships with other guys in the community which leads to a heightened sense of community and pride in our school.”