Wow, what a crazy year! I hope you and your family are doing as best as possible during these trying times. As we move into spring, a change for the better is on the horizon. On behalf of the University of Illinois Dads Association, I’d like to welcome you to a select group – the fathers (and father figures) of a University of Illinois student! If you’re a first-time U of I parent, you’re probably looking for resources to help you with your student’s transition to life as an Illini, and that’s where the Dads Association can help. Especially during this unique time, we are all experiencing changes to life as we know it. The University of Illinois Dads Association can help direct you to university resources to assist with almost any question you might have. As the oldest known parents’ association in the nation, we have a lot of experience helping families get acclimated to the university community and student life at Illinois. If this isn’t your first student at Illinois, or you’re an alumnus, you’re probably already familiar with our group.
So, who is the Dads Association? You are. Every dad and father figure of a U of I student is granted membership in the Association. If you register on our website, www.IlliniDads.com, you’ll be added to our mailing list and get early access to purchase Dads Weekend tickets, regular updates on campus activities, hints to help your student, and information on what the Dads Association is doing in the campus community. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
We Award Scholarships and Grants
The Dads Association is not only an information source, we’re also a philanthropic organization. We award in excess of $20,000 per year in grants to student organizations and in student scholarships. We have awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars throughout the years.
We Organize Dads Weekend
We are the primary sponsor and organizer of Dads Weekend, which is held in the fall on a football weekend. We have events throughout the weekend, including a pregame BBQ; specially priced football, basketball, volleyball, and hockey tickets; a Saturday night concert on campus; and a Sunday brunch. We will also have our second annual 5k fun-run on Sunday morning. Selling tickets for these events is our primary fundraiser each year; the proceeds fund our scholarship and grant programs. If you’re making plans to come to Dads Weekend, you will be able to purchase your event tickets through the Dads Association website starting in July.
We Anoint a King Dad
During Dads Weekend, we select and honor the King Dad; students are invited to nominate their dads and tell us why they think their dad deserves to be King Dad for the weekend. Our board reviews all the nominations and chooses one deserving individual, who gets the royal treatment for the entire weekend, including a hotel room at the Union, breakfast with the Chancellor, luxury suite tickets to the football game with recognition on the field and on the Jumbotron during the game, tickets to all our events, and swag.
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Want to Get Involved?
The Dads Association is also always looking for Board members. Much like the athletics teams that the university fields, our Board changes yearly, as members are dads of current students. If you’re looking for a way to get involved with campus life and make a positive impact on the student and university community, please consider volunteering for the Dads Association Board of Directors.
Show your Illini spirit and purchase Illini Dads official apparel from our website. All proceeds support our students and the campus community.
Again, welcome to the Dads Association, and GO ILLINI!
David Foster
President - Board of Directors
University of Illinois Dads Association
