Barrington man to be honored at White House
A Barrington resident will be honored at the White House Wednesday, June 13, as part of a Champions of Change event celebrating his accomplishments in the areas of encouraging men to be more involved in their children’s lives.
David and Peggy Hirsch will fly to Washington, where David will be honored with 11 others. David is the founder of the Illinois Fatherhood Initiative, a 501(c)(3) charity based in Chicago, and is “Chief Encouragement Officer” of Team Dad LLC, a nonprofit where Peggy is the president.
IFI believes “greater father involvement equals greater student achievement,” Hirsch said. He cited studies that argue the more parent involvement, the better children do, and yet four out of 10 children in the U.S. don’t have a present father.
“That’s just wrong,” he said.
Hirsch received an email invitation on June 1. Surprised, he immediately responded yes. The couple will get a tour of the White House’s East Wing, attend the event and be part of a briefing and celebration with all the honorees.
“It’s an honor and it’s also humbling,” Hirsch said of the invitation.
Champions of Change honors Americans for their accomplishments in a variety of different fields and topics. The program was started in April 2011 by President Obama in order to recognize citizens from all over the country for their work. This week’s event fits right in with Father’s Day, which also celebrates fatherhood, something Hirsch takes seriously.
“It’s been a good 15 years that he’s devoted to this issue,” Peggy said.
In February, the couple, who have been married for 29 years and have five children, started Team Dad, a social business venture promoting responsible fathering and connecting fathers and children.
“We think it’s a valuable resource for people to have,” he said. “We’re trying to inspire men.”
The nonprofit’s website offers a database of tools and resources for dads sorted by state. It also recently launched the Great Dads Coins campaign, where kids can give the coin to a father or father figure to remind them of their bond.
The couple will fly back to Chicago Wednesday so they can attend IFI’s annual Celebration of Fatherhood Dinner on Thursday, but Hirsch hopes he can give President Obama a Great Dads coin while he is at the nation’s capitol. If not, he said, he’ll still leave it at the White House.
While Hirsch didn’t know exactly why he was selected to be a Champion of Change, he’s excited.
“It’s obviously something I think about, that I’m passionate about.”