Giving Back to Your Biggest Backer: Dad

(ARA) – Once the news stories, greeting card commercials and aggressive retail sales wither, you might think the importance of nurturing a special bond with their fathers slips into the background for most Americans. But don’t you believe it.

Take a look at the number of Americans participating in traditional Dad-associated activities - such as fishing, camping and attending sporting events - and a picture emerges of a culture that values and nourishes the father-child bond all year round. From simple gift-giving to participating in organized sports, children of all ages, each day, invest precious time in activities that can bring them closer to their fathers.

* Fishing - More than 44 million people over the age of 6 go fishing every year, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - that’s one in every five Americans. Statistics also show that fishing continues to be a family activity, most often passed on from father to child. The Web site, www.takemefishing.org, bears testimony to the family nature of the sport, with numerous fishing memories posted by anglers whose first fishing experience was often under Dad’s guidance.

* Sports - Whether they follow the season with the same professional team, or play together in a neighborhood game, fathers and children continue to bond through sports. In 2005, total attendance at professional sporting events demonstrated Americans’ on-going love of the game - any game: 17.3 million attended football games; 74.9 million, baseball; 21.5 million, basketball; and 20.8 million, hockey.

* Gardening - According to the National Gardening Association, more than 84 million Americans participate in some form of gardening - whether indoor or outdoor. Many of those learned the fine points of potting plants and plowing fields under the guidance of their fathers. The NGA advocates gardening as a fun and healthful family activity.

* Gift-Giving - Whether surprising Dad with tickets to a ball game, or treating him to a night on the town, Americans still remember “Dear Old Dad” on his birthday, anniversary and other special occasions - not just on Father’s Day. Online gift-giving, and particularly online purchases of gift certificates, continues to grow in popularity.

“Gift certificates, like the SuperCertificate from GiftCertificates.com, are always popular in part because you don’t risk buying a specific item the recipient may or may not like,” says gift certificate expert Jill K. Ambrose of GiftCertificates.com. “Instead of giving Dad a tool or fishing lure he may already have, or a tie he’ll never wear, a gift certificate shows you care about what he really wants.”

Gift certificates can be purchased online and don’t limit the giver to a single store; the SuperCertificate from GiftCertificates.com can be exchanged for one or a combination of gift certificates from more than 200 national and local merchants, including famous brand clothing sellers, jewelers, restaurants and more. They never expire and are available in denominations from $25 to $1,000 online or over the phone. Gift-givers can add a personal message to their order, which acts like a greeting card message, and have the SuperCertificate gift delivered via e-mail within several hours, or by traditional postal service. Recipients can redeem the certificates at www.GiftCertificates.com.

“Every year, gift certificates gain in popularity, showing up on top gift lists for nearly every significant life occasion,” says Ambrose.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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