The Award
In Australia, the award was motivated by a US businessman, who inspired the first Father of the Year award in NSW and Victoria.
The history of the Victorian Father of the Year award goes back to 1956, the same year as the first Myer Christmas window display, the year that the National Trust began in Victoria, and the Olympic Games were held in Melbourne.
Since then, a recipient is announced annually to coincide with Father's Day celebrations.
View all the past winners.
Father's Day
YMCA volunteer, Sonora Smart Dodd was raised by her father after her mother died. When she heard about Mother's Day she felt the need to recognise her father's effort in raising her and went to her local Y in Spokane, Washington, USA with the idea. The Y swiftly endorsed the idea and helped it spread, holding the first Father's Day celebration on June 10, 1910.
Community Father
Today, YMCA Victoria awards a Local Community Father of the Year in every region where there is a YMCA. The Father’s Day Council of Victoria also considers all Local Community Father of the Year recipients when selecting the Victorian Father of the Year.
Such initiatives demonstrate that ordinary people can have an extraordinary impact on their children's lives.
"We know that fathers and father-figures have an incredibly important role to play in their children's development, and this award is really aimed at raising awareness about the importance of fathering in our communities," said YMCA Chief Executive Peter Burns.
Visit the YMCA Victoria website, at www.victoria.ymca.org.au for more information and past winners.
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