by Janice Edwards, Cuyahoga County Office of Child Support Services

    The Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative partnered with the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the National Fatherhood Resource Center and Little Free Libraries for outstanding events last week. The goal was to promote the importance of fathers reading to their children, and it proved to be a huge success!

  The first program was held at the Karamu Performing Arts Center, in Cleveland. The children in attendance received free books and basketballs and the fathers received Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative T-shirts and hoodies. The children even had a chance to show off their basketball skills! Several fathers from the Fatherhood Initiative programs were presented with awards for their outstanding involvement at their children’s schools. A special award was presented to Ted Ginn Sr., for his work with youth throughout Cuyahoga County. Students and fathers from the Kenneth Clement Boys Leadership Academy were special guests.  

  The audience was also treated to a panel discussion on the importance of fathers’ interaction and involvement with their children. Those who participated included, Al Grimes, Administrator of the Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative, Dennis Scott from the NBA and the Shooter’s Paradise program, Jim Chones and Kevin Clayton from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Larry Ellis, the Principal of Shaw High School, Derrick Holifield, the Principal at Kenneth Clement Boys Leadership Academy and Ken Braswell, Director of the National Fatherhood Resource Center.

   On Friday, February 18, “Dadication” themed Little Free Libraries, plus a supply of books for dads and their children to keep and read, were presented during an exclusive ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Children’s Museum of Cleveland. Six organizations including the Children’s Museum, Glendale Elementary School from Bedford, and the Shalom and Tranquility Community Garden in Cleveland’s Brooklyn neighborhood were awarded the Little Free Libraries.

  The fathers and literacy program and the Little Free Libraries are only two of many programs promoted by the Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative, annually. For more information on the many offerings, call 216.698.2869.

*View the full photo gallery from the events.