Without a doubt, there is a significant and profoundly strong bond between fathers and sons, and this reality was put on full display during the Central Catholic annual Father & Son event, held this Saturday, March 20 at Central Catholic High School.

This year’s event, headed up by advancement team members Marshall Weinkam and Angela Sikorski, boasted a high turnout of father and son attendees, a message from the former mayor Henry Cisneros, catered barbeque from Augie’s, and dozens of parents and moms that also worked the event in a myriad of roles.

The event started out with the large group gathered in the stands at Bob Benson, ’66 stadium to hear thought provoking messages from several students after Father Sean opened with prayer.  The student messages centered around the importance of the father-son relationship, and also recognized the scriptural significance of the role that Joseph played in the life of his son, Jesus. Former mayor Henry Cisneros then delivered a moving message that spoke to not only the role that fathers play in the lives of their sons, but also the role that each of those sons play in the lives of their fathers, their mothers, their families, and their communities.

Mr. Pena, who has co-chaired the event for several years, had this to say: “This year’s Father-Son event had an incredible turnout and I will cherish the experience. It was gratifying to spend the entire event with my son and I am grateful to the wonderful volunteers and a terrific Co-Chair. Serving CCHS has been such a pleasure.”

Mr. Arambula, who also co-chaired the event this year, shared these comments about the success of the Father-Son day: “I was deeply honored to serve as Co-Chair for the 2021 Father-Son Event.   It was truly amazing to see the number of fathers and sons in attendance. Its success was a team effort and many thanks to the Central Catholic staff, committee members and volunteers that put in the time and effort to make the 2021 Father-Son Event one to remember.”

Parent and graduate of the class of 1990, Mr. Abe Luna shared these thoughts about his experience of Father-Son Day: “From the incredibly moving speech by guest speaker Henry Cisneros that helped remind fathers of what it was like to be a young man in high school, and helped sons understand what their fathers go through being a provider and protector for life, to the Ice Breaker event with thought provoking questions that opened the lines of communication between fathers and sons, two major parts of the day that define the purpose of Father-Son Day. There aren’t enough words to express my appreciation to those that are responsible for putting this year’s Father-Son Day together. It was a great day!”

Following the stirring and poignant message from the former mayor, fathers and sons split up into different large groups that were determined by a colored wristband that each was issued. The groups rotated around all day to engage and participate in a number of activities that included Three Legged races in the historic gym, Chicago Baseball played out on the football field, Soccer matches played on the Alumni field, Trivia contests held in the stadium stands, Icebreaker sessions in the Quad, and Dodgeball in the convocation center.

So in spite of a pandemic, this committed group gathered once again to build relationships between fathers and sons, and to strengthen one of the strongest bonds that helps shape the character of a man….that bond between a father and a son. You can click the link below to visit a Google Photos album with more images from the day:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/k21cyVRZTsAtNp7V9