Happy Father's Day: I Love My Dad Because ...

Happy Father's Day to all the dads in Stow!

Before we share why , here's some facts about the holiday in the United States courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau:

The idea of Father’s Day was conceived slightly more than a century ago by
Sonora Dodd of Spokane, WA, while she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon
in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a
widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm.

A day in June was chosen for the first Father’s Day celebration ? About 100 years ago, June 19, 1910, proclaimed by Spokane’s mayor because it was the month of Smart’s birth. The first presidential proclamation honoring fathers was issued in 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Father’s Day has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it permanent.

• There are 70.1 million fathers in the United States.
• There were 1.8 million single fathers in 2010.
• An estimated 154,000 are stay-at-home dads as of 2010.

There shouldn't be an excuse for not picking up a tie, hammer or some golf balls for dad this year, as there are:

• 8,111  men’s clothing stores around the country as of 2008;
• 16,010: hardware stores as of 2008;
• 7,009: home centers across the country in 2008;:
• 22,116: The number of sporting goods stores in 2008.
  
  

We solicited comments from Stow residents to find out why you love your pop.

• I love my dad (Bruce Siller) because … "he will stay up until 2 a.m. with me and discuss topics such as world issues and my future over a glass of his homemade wine. He always gives me the best advice and quotes, 'If you win in the war, and die in the battle ... what have you accomplished?'" — Julie Siller
• I love my dad (Richard Harnocz) because ... "he is the most selfless man I know and will drop anything to help another person, especially his children." —
• I love my dad because ... "when he faced a myriad of medical issues in his last years and was asked, 'How are you, Arne?' He always answered, 'Better and better.'" — Patty Hardwick

Love your dad and want to let everyone know in cyber space? Send an email to amanda.harnocz@patch.com and we'll add it to this story! Or, comment below this story and feel free to add a photo of you and father as well!