Father’s Day is next Sunday. And I have a question for you about that. How are your Mother’s Day and Father’s Day celebrations different – or are they?
In terms of expenditures, there is a great divide. For our moms, the average amount we spend for their celebration is $186 per mom for a total of $23.6 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. For our dads, we are spending about $135 per dad, with a total of $15.5 billion.
And there are other differences between the two holidays. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day have quite different histories. Mother’s Day was officially recognized by the US government in 1914. Father’s Day had to wait until 1972 to officially exist.
But who am I to judge? I never tried to figure out who was worth more. I always bought each of my parents gifts on their day. So why more for moms than dads? I think it is just ease. Moms have a bigger list of stuff they like. Dads, not so much.
There are only so many power tools you can buy. That’s why they are stuck with socks, underwear and cologne – really bad cologne. Not from lack of love….just lack of exciting options.
At the chamber, we love our member dads. I see them light up when talking about their kids and grandkids. The guys who coach their kids’ teams, glow when they talk about their games. Stories of kids’ visits and trips to visit them are told with total joy.
So I’m on a mission to get our dads gifts they can actually use. My dad was a golfer. Not a good golfer. A golfer. The perfect gift for him was golf balls. He’d head out on Saturday with a bag full of golf balls. Returning home, the bag was nowhere full.
So golfballs it was. If your dad, granddad, husband or brother has that disappearing golf ball problem, golf balls might be the thing. And if it is, you could always register them to participate in the annual Chamber Golf Classic coming your way this fall. It’s open to members and non-members alike and a good time is always had by all! Keep that in mind.
And if the man in your life is a business owner in South County, consider getting him a chamber membership. We’ll help your man get his business in the spotlight to ensure continued growth. And he will meet new friends and valuable referral sources. Give me a call, and I can fill you in on all the privileges that come along with chamber membership.
If your guy is not really a do it yourself kind of guy, stop by the chamber for our membership directory. I admire people who know their limits, and we can help him check off everything on his “to do” list.
And for the guy who has everything, including all the chamber has to offer, I found one last thing. While searching for gifts on line, I found a bouquet of roses – stay with me here – a bouquet of roses made out of bacon. Everything’s better with bacon. So bottom line, I wish all the dads and father-figures out there a happy Father’s Day. And if you ever need anything besides socks and underwear, just Ask The Chamber!
Lynne Conlan is executive director of the South Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce. Call her at 813-634-5111, or email lynne@southhillschamber.com.
