Oakland Father's Club
We are fortunate to live in this amazing town in which there is no shortage of clubs and organizations made up of local volunteers. These volunteers dedicate their time to making a positive difference in our community. Highlighted in this month’s article is the Oakland Father’s Club. President Bob Franks shared the history of the Father’s Club with me. It is the hope of the Father’s Club to raise awareness of the magnificent deeds the club carries out and encourage more members to join and make an even bigger impact in our community.
The Oakland Father’s Club was established in 1958and is a registered 501(c ) nonprofit organization. It is a community organization dedicated to serving the youth of Oakland. Currently Bob Franks is the president of the club and this is his third year in this role. Bob moved to Oakland in 2001 and has been a part of the Father’s Club for the past ten years. He joined the club because he wanted to give back and help support the youth in his community. Other elected members of the club include the vice president, Joe Yankauskas; the treasurer, Lou Renshaw; and the secretary, Joe Pisacane. Currently there are 55 active members.
The members are comprised of local fathers who contribute their time to raise money to support educational, recreational and safety programs. Bob leads the meetings to help the club organize events throughout the year. The funds raised help support the Oakland Recreation program, Safety Town, Junior Police Academy, Project graduation, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Eagle Scouts. Additionally, they fund college scholarships for graduating Oakland seniors in our two high schools - $3000 annually. To date they have raised approximately $85,000 in scholarships over the last 20 years. Private donors also help.
The annual events include but are not limited to:
1) The annual golf outing and dinner which is held in October. Over 100 golfers attend this fundraiser event. The event collects donated raffle items, money from sponsored donors and much more.
2) The annual family barbecue fundraiser is held at Crystal Lake in June. This event has food, games, fishing, swimming, raffles and live entertainment.
3) The cheesesteak station at the Oakland carnival raises money for the club.
The Father’s Club also works with the Maimone Family during the winter to raise additional funds for families in need during the holidays. A volunteer photographer, Anthony Ruggerio, takes pictures of families in front of the Maimone’s magical Christmas display on their front lawn at 116 Chicasaw Drive. The suggested donation is $25 per family but families are welcome to give more. Signups for this are available online. The Mother’s club assists by using the funds raised to shop for and deliver gifts and meals for these families during the holidays. This event has successfully raised approximately $10,000 per year and has been running for four years now.
The club currently meets on the 3rd Monday of each month at 8 PM at the Knights of Columbus, 7 Court House Place in Oakland. Annual membership is nominal.
If interested in more information:
1) Visit their website www.OaklandOFC.org
2) Visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/fathersclub07436
3) Email ofc@oaklandofc.org
Or simply attend one of the meetings and bring a friend! The club welcomes new members. You do not have to be a father to join.