Congrats to our First Annual Father's Day Contest Winners!This year's Father's Day Contest was a success! These young men impressed us with their words - eloquent, heartfelt, inspiring!!! Thanks for sharing with us! Below are our winners and their Father's Day Essays
1st Place: Daniel Kim (2 tickets to Padre's game)
There are many things that people may call my father. Some may call him an enthusiast for his love of bikes and motorcycles. Some may call him serious for the amount of work he puts in. Some may call him a chef for his love in his cooking. Some may call him a family man for his love for his wife, kids, and family members. Some may call him a guitarist for not only the amount of guitars he has, but how well he can play them as well. Some may call him a friend for his attitude that can make people smile and respect him at the same time. Some may call him a genius for attending Carnegie Mellon, one of the top universities in the world. Some may call him a failure for not getting his PhD. Some may call him excessive for the amount of strictness he holds. All of these things are what people have seen my dad as. Yet to me, he is my father; a man who has taken care of me since I was born and will always be loved by me the most as a son.
When I was a baby, my dad was attempting to earn his PhD. Everyday my dad would drive me to preschool, rush over to his university, and try to pick me up on time from my daycare. If he was even 2 minutes late, they would charge him extra for not picking me up on time. He would always take care of me first before doing his studying. If my dad had left me at a foster home, he probably would’ve had a better chance of getting his PhD. But he always took care of me first; he saw that my future was more important than his.
Now that I am old enough to take care of myself, I can truly appreciate what my dad does for everyone. Whenever we walk out of a restaurant with a box full of warm leftovers, my dad will give all of it to a homeless man he sees on the streets. If we don’t have any leftovers, he will buy that person food and drinks. If one of my cousins has difficulty in school, my dad will tutor them for the entire weekend just so they will understand their subjects before Monday. My dad will always help my neighbors in need, no matter what the time is and what needs to be done. He always helps with a positive attitude.
So what makes my dad the best dad in the world? It would probably have to be that he is willing to sacrifice everything he has for his friends, family, and even strangers that he has never met before. He believes that you must give back to society if one wants to be a good member of it. I can’t ever repay for what my dad did for me, but my plan is to show him that I understand.
2ndPlace:Michael Do (Tool kit for dad)
Most people, if asked who their favorite hero is, will respond with Superman, Batman, or Spiderman. However, I would reply differently to that question. My favorite hero without a doubt, lives under the same roof as me. He does not have superhuman strength or the ability to fly but he has provided me with so much more than that, my own dad. But some may ask: "What makes your dad different from anyone else's?". It is the little things that my father does every day that makes him such a role model and a great dad. First of all, my dad excels all expectations as a father figure in the household. It is already no small feat to raise and support three growing children, but he is even able to teach us many different things and give us advice. He is always available to lecture us on any academic subject be it math, physics, chemistry, or even Chinese language. In addition to school help, he always knows exactly what to say when asked for advice about friends or when there is a difficult choice to make. From my dad, I learned everything I know about right and wrong and how to live one's life to the fullest. I am grateful that he taught me how working hard in life will lead to success. Nothing else is more valuable than knowing the worth of putting effort into something. A Chinese proverb states: " Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Throughout my life, my father has been preparing me for the future. He has always taken the more difficult path and allowed me to struggle so that I could be able to provide for myself and my own family one day. Another reason why my dad is so great is that no matter what the situation, he is always so understanding. He has never been too strict as to control every moment of our lives. My dad has always lets us make our most important decisions by ourselves. However, he is always there to nudge us in the right direction, giving us guidance when it is needed most. Without my father, I would definitely not be anywhere near the person I am today. Last of all, my father is just a fun guy to be around. He has a very positive and humorous personality that will always brighten my day. What more can you ask of a father than to make his kids laugh? However, I am not saying he is perfect. Throughout the years we have definitely had our differences and gotten into plenty of fights. But, in the end, all that really matters is the lessons that he has taught me, and in that, there is no one more successful than my dad. These are a few of the many reasons why my dad is absolutely the best dad in the world.
3rd Place: Bowen Du ($25 gift certificate to restaurant Mama Cella)
My dad, Fuli Du, is truly an amazing person. He is the most intelligent person I know. If I ask him a question, whether it is about Chinese grammar, algebra, geometry, geography, history, politics, or astronomy, he always has an answer, and can explain it to me very clearly.
My dad, in fact, is not only my father, but my best friend. We often chat together and play together. In particular, we play with LEGOs, playing cards, and Wii video games. We also like to watch classic movies. Under his influence, I also began to like musicals, such as Les Misérables, The Sound of Music, The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, and Oklahoma. Besides classic movies and musicals, my dad also opened me up to some classic literature, such as The Castle, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and 1984.
My dad is very concerned about my studies at school. If I want to participate in a math competition, he stays up late almost every night to help me practice math problems. He also taught me how to use computers, as well as how to manage my own money. He helped me learn to use Quicken and to create spreadsheets to keep track of my allowance and expenses. He is always ready to help me if I have any problems with my homework, and is very supportive of my academic endeavors.
My father also pays attention to my health. He makes me eat lots of vegetables and fruits, and makes sure that I brush my teeth properly. To ensure that I am completely healthy, my dad also takes me to the doctor and dentist for regular checkups. He often takes our family out for sports, biking, hiking, boogie boarding, and jogging. In the past two years, on the morning of New Year's Day, my father took us to climb Iron Mountain to see the first sunrise of the year, which made me the first person to reach the top of the Iron Mountain in 2011. Last November, the RB Swim and Tennis Club held their first ping-pong tournament. I signed up in the teen’s group. My dad practiced ping-pong with me almost every day, and that helped me win the championship in the teen group.
My father also has a great sense of humor. He often jokes around with me. All of his jokes are very funny, and they kept me from becoming extremely bored, especially during hiking. He would make our hiking trips more interesting by going ahead and dropping quarters, apples, and LEGO pieces for me to find and pick up.
I am very glad to have such a wonderful father, and he is the best father anyone could ever wish for.
Congrats to Gracie Horne for winning the Chalk It Up Art Contest in RB
Congrat to Nicole Manalo for acceptance to UC Berkley
Congrats to Matthew O'Sullivan for acceptance to Duke Law School
2011 Top Docs Award Photoshoot
Thank you to all the patients that made it to the photoshoot for 2011 Top Docs Award. We appreciate your presence and moral support. Below is the slide show for your preview for those who could attend. These photos are taken by Sunny Ha Photography, contact: (772)766-1141.
