Main Body
The YMCA’s Legacy of Supporting Fathers Traces Back to the Holiday’s Founding
CHICAGO (June 9, 2025) — Each June, families across the country celebrate the dads, grandfathers, and father figures who have shaped their lives. But what many may not know is that Father’s Day has its roots in the YMCA.
In 1910, Sonora Smart Dodd, a Spokane, Washington resident, held the first Father’s Day celebration at her local YMCA to honor her father, William Smart, a Civil War veteran and single parent who raised six children on his own after his wife died during childbirth. Despite the hardships, William raised Sonora and her five siblings with unwavering dedication and love.
As Sonora grew older, she recognized the remarkable resilience her father had shown. Inspired by a Mother’s Day sermon the year before, Dodd believed fathers deserved their own day of recognition. With the help of the Spokane YMCA and the local ministerial alliance, she launched what would eventually become a national holiday.
Originally set for June 5, her father’s birthday, the event was rescheduled to June 19, giving organizers more time and eventually inspiring the now-familiar tradition of celebrating Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June.
At the YMCA, Father’s Day is more than a day on the calendar - it’s a reflection of the vital role fathers and caregivers play in strengthening families and communities. Today, YMCAs across the country continue to honor and support fathers through programs that promote healthy living, youth development and social connection.
From father-daughter dances and parent-child swim lessons to mentoring programs and volunteer opportunities, the YMCA has a long history of helping dads be their best, for themselves and their families.
This Father’s Day, the YMCA celebrates the legacy of Sonora Smart Dodd and all the fathers and father figures who lead with love, strength and compassion every day.
To learn more about how the YMCA supports fathers and families in communities across the country, visit ymca.org.
About the Y
Driven by its founding mission, the Y has served as a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community for more than 175 years. The Y empowers everyone, no matter who they are or where they’re from, by ensuring access to resources, relationships, and opportunities for all to learn, grow and thrive. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives and generations, the Y’s goal is to improve overall health and well-being, ignite youth empowerment and demonstrate the importance of connections in and across 10,000 communities nationwide. Learn more at ymca.org.