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Dinner with dad
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Jim “Basketball” Jones pulled student volunteers out of the audience and wowed the crowd with his basketball skills and tricks during Hilltop Elementary School’s annual Dinner with Dad.
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Hundreds of Hilltop Elementary School students and their dads enjoyed a night out during the school’s annual Dinner with Dad at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman Jan. 25.
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Hilltop Elementary School students and their dads checked out the prizes for the Chinese auction at the annual Dinner with Dad Jan. 25.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.A table full of Hilltop Elementary School students and their dads enjoyed dinner and entertainment at the school’s annual Dinner with Dad Jan. 25.
By ABBY SLANKER
Students at Hilltop Elementary School did not want to be late for a very important date Jan. 25 — Dinner with Dad.
The annual PTO-sponsored event invited all students and their dads to Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman for an evening of food, fellowship and entertainment.
Hilltop Elementary Principal Cathy Mowry welcomed the several hundred students and their dads to the dinner, while introducing the entertainment for the evening, Jim “Basketball” Jones. The children, in turn, welcomed Jones by singing the song “Hilltop Elementary” to him.
Throughout his program, Jones stressed to the children to believe in themselves and taught them life lessons while wowing them with his basketball skills and tricks. He involved both the children and the dads in his show, giving them opportunities to play games like Simon Says to win an autographed basketball.
A 50/50 raffle and a Chinese auction were also part of the event, with prizes including an American Girl doll, a Eureka tent, two sleeping bags, a battery pack and a light, a portable DVD player, an XBox 360 Kinect and a Nintendo DSi XL.
According to a few students, Dinner with Dad is a very special and fun event.
“I always have lots of fun with my dad,” one student said.
“It is a really great night alone with my dad,” said another student.
The students weren’t the only ones enjoying the event. Dads were thankful for the opportunity to spend quality time with their kids.
“We are out by ourselves. We really don’t get a lot of time alone,” admitted one dad.
As a fitting end to his program and the special evening, and to drive his point home about the children believing in themselves, Jones had the children repeat after him, “I’m important! I can and I will! I won’t quit!” to a round of applause, from both students and dads.
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