Wikipedia tells us Father’s Day was founded by a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd in 1910 after she heard a sermon in church on Mother’s Day and got inspired. Sonora wanted to honor her dad who was a Civil War vet and a single father who raised six children. But the holiday didn’t catch on right away. The populace was leery that it was just another commercial attempt to get people to open their wallets and pander to the “trade.”
Sonora wouldn’t give up. In fact she got the trade organizations behind her, but it wasn’t until two decades later that Father’s Day started to take hold. Time continued to pass, and still no real recognition, however with most everything, politics finally won over. In 1966, with a little nudge from the late and distinguished Senator from Maine, Margaret Chase Smith, who shamed her fellow Congressmen in Senate chambers for ignoring the “other family member,” Father’s Day was proclaimed a day of celebration. Six years later, under President Richard Nixon, a permanent national holiday was signed into law.
At GreenAcres we asked some of our male customers what would make them happy on Father’s Day.
Aside from one dad who said he just wanted his kids to spend time helping him brush up on his computer skills, and another dad who surprised us with his request—a pair of Prada tennis shoes (!)—almost all the dads said they wanted “grilling stuff.” BBQ kings never have enough equipment to work with.
Here are some of our dads’ suggestions:
- Woodstock Mesquite and Apple Wood Chips (several bags!)
- Niman Ranch Kentucky Bourban Uncured Sausage for grilling.
- Lucky Star K.C. Strip Steaks.
- Stubbs BBQ Sauce—the spicy one.
- A gift basket full of condiments: Jack Daniels Horseradish (and a bottle of Jack to go with); Malle Dijon Mustard; Salvu Spicy Ketchup; any kind of pickles.
- Snack gift basket with Pretzel Crisps, G. H. Cretors Chicago Mix, Kettle Brand Potato Chips, and cookies of choice. (Maybe throw in a bag of chocolate malt balls from the bulk department.)
- A six-pack of Natural Brew Draft Root Beer (or make it regular beer—the dads were all in agreement about that.)
Along with gift certificates, GreenAcres offers a wide variety of men’s products and gifts. Jason’s has a thin-to-thick hair conditioning and styling line the men love. Mychelle’s So Clean, Splash and Smooth products and Bert’s Bees natural skin care and after-shave moisturizers are a big hit with male customers. Giovanni has great hair products and lotions for sensitive skin. There’s a popular triple-blade razor called Preserve that’s hard to keep in stock. Check out the myriad astringents, body bars, hand lotions, fine wooden-handled brushes, combs and more.
Come in, take a tour, and let us help you make your Father’s Day a special one!