The Dads Association at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign named Matthew Toole of Elmhurst, IL King Dad 2020 during the Virtual Dads Weekend on Saturday, November 7, 2020. Matthew was nominated by his daughter Regan Toole, a freshman studying Community Health. She describes her dad as her “biggest hero” and even though he has been living with ALS for the past 11 years, her father was always present at every event, no matter how small. He is a patient man who is always there to inspire his daughter and to just listen when she needs someone to talk to. In her nomination, she writes, “All in all, my dad is my hero because of how much of an inspiration he is, and he teaches me that me that every day is a gift.”
Larry Woods of Chicago, IL was the runner up, with Jim Kummerer of Oak Lawn, IL coming in at third.
The other King Dad nominees were:
- Arnold Maxey
- Jim Spencer
- Manny Garcia
- Marshall Jones
- Joey Rogers
- Robert Kercher
- Angel Avalos
- Michael Krauter
- Shanlin Gao
- John Maali Sr.
- Edward Larson
- Adan K. Pope
- Srinivas Rayudu
- Loren Williams
- Christopher Weber
- Owen Carney Sr.
- Brad Ortmeier
- Charles Gale
- Todd Fouts
A copy of Regan’s winning essay can be found at the Parent and Family Programs website by visiting union.illinois.edu/PFPO.
