Fathers' Day 2003

A tribute to all our dads
Sunday September 7, 2003

Cynics would have you believe that Father's Day is just another crass marketing opportunity, the chance to sell more cards, ties, and wallets.

Don't you believe it! The sentiment behind the creation of father's day couldn't be more genuine. In fact, it was established years before the first greeting cards were even available commercially.

There a several people to whom celebration of the first father's day is attributed, but there is little doubt about the person who did most to promote its adoption as a day to thank fathers everywhere for the love, support, and selflessness they offer their children.

In 1909 in Washington State, Sonora Louise Smart Dodd approached her local church to help her promote a national day to acknowledge the role fathers play. She particularly wanted to thank her own father for his efforts in raising her and her siblings. Her father was a Civil War veteran whose wife had died while giving birth to their sixth child. At the time Sonora little appreciated the difficulties her father faced or the sacrifices he had to make. Not until she married and became a parent herself did she really understand what her father had had to do to raise her and her brothers and sisters.

A national day to reflect on the special place fathers have in our lives was her way of saying thank you to her own father.

Father's Day is on Sunday, September 7, this year so make sure you take time to remember your own father and thank him for being there. Take him to lunch, have a game of golf or just watch the footy, give him a bottle of wine, a good book, or yes, even a card.

Along with Mother's Day, Father's Day is a time to treasure one of the two most important people in all our lives.

It's Father's Day at Lismore Central

You can win one of six double passes to see leading Australian actors Max Gillies and Jackie Weaver perform live on stage in Neil Simon's "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" just by shopping at Lismore Central for your Father's Day gift.

Celebrating Fathers Day is a great way of showing your dad how much you appreciate and love him.

Not every father is the same, and what each has to offer is unique.

Like mothers, they lovingly sacrifice their time and energies for the sake of their families.

A father's pleasures are often found in the simple observation of their children as they grown and mature, to one day become parents in their own right.

Fathers Day is a time for children to recognise their fathers.

The modern day ritual most associated with Fathers Day in Australia is breakfast in bed with a newspaper (perhaps The Echo!) and a gift that reflects the particular interests of the man.

Of course it may need to be a very early breakfast in bed if Dad is off to play a morning round of golf on 'his' day.

Win the 'hottest' tickets in town

This year Lismore Central is joining in on the celebrations with every shop offering specials on a wide variety of gifts suitable for Fathers Day.

And just by shopping at Lismore Central you could win one of six double passes to see Jackie Weaver and Max Gillies perform in Neil Simon's stage classic Last of the Red Hot Lovers, part of the 2003 NORPA season at City Hall.

All you need to do to be in the running is to write your name and contact details on the back of a receipt from any of the participating stores and place them in the barrel at the top of the travelator.

These tickets are the hottest tickets in town as the Last of the Red Hot Lovers season is now completely booked out. This your last chance to treat your dad to the comedy stage hit of the year.