The TowneLaker's

2003 Father of the Year - Tom Page

Dear The TowneLaker Staff,

I am entering my Dad in the Greatest Dad Contest. My Dad's name is Tom Page. My Dad makes me feel special by just giving me a hug and a kiss every night. I know this is nothing big, but to have a dad that tells you he loves you and gives you a hug and a kiss every night really means a lot to me. Also he is always there for me. He has never let me down, and to know I have a dad like that makes me proud and special.

The thing that makes my Dad more special than any other dad is that he loves to do things with me. He does go to work but he always makes room in his day for me. I think having a father that cares enough about you to get angry with you when you are losing friends or not doing something is a better father than any other one. Well what I just said describes my Dad. He loves me so much that he would get angry and upset and makes his day miserable just to help me out sometimes. I know yelling and getting angry doesn't seem like the right thing to do, but some dads could care less about their kids and just go to a bar and not care if their kids have friends or are in activities.

The most important lesson my Dad has ever taught me was to never back talk an adult, or argue with an adult. He has always told me that if you respect older people that not only will they respect you but they will think more highly of you. I think this is an important lesson because if I didn't know this then I would never make it through life. I would never have a job.

I think my Dad should win this contest because he loves and cares about me more than you could imagine. If you knew him, you would know he is a great guy. If he doesn't win, it will be OK. I will still think of him as the greatest dad ever. I want to give this to him so that I can show him I really care about him more than I can express. I hope he wins this because he deserves it.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Ann Page, age 14

The TowneLaker is happy to announce the 2003 Father of the Year, Tom Page. Tom was nominated by his 14 year-old daughter, Kimberly. Tom says he was really surprised by the nomination, but you can tell his daughters, Kimberly and her older sister Christy, were not surprised at all that their Dad won, they are very proud of their Dad.

The best is the hugs and kisses each night, says Kimberly. The girls and their Mom, Nancy, like to tell funny stories about their Dad. One they remember in particular was when they had just moved to Georgia in 1993. The Pages were living in an apartment waiting for their home to be completed when the "famous storm of 1993" occurred. Thinking since it was March and they were moving to Georgia, they could pack up their winter clothes. Well, as most will remember, during that storm the temperature got down to 10 degrees. Unfortunately while making a fire in the the apartment's fireplace,

Tom Page, wife Nancy, Kimberly (left front) and Christy

Tom's hair caught on fire! To hear the girls tell it, that is why he is now going bald.

When Tom was asked what is the biggest challenge in raising two girls, he said, "I have tried to raise my girls to respect others, enjoy life and experience everything life has to offer."

In trying to complete this goal, Tom and Nancy enjoy taking the girls camping, skiing and fishing as often as possible. They also have involved the girls in basketball, tennis and softball. Tom helped coach the softball teams the girls played on. Both girls are also very busy with cheerleading, Kimberly at E.T. Booth Middle School and Christy at Etowah High School.

When Nancy was asked what she thought Tom's best "parenting" trait is, she said without any hesitation, "It is his patience, he is really very patient with all of us 'girls.' You know living with three girls can get a little hectic at times."

Father of the Year
Honorable Mentions

"I love my dad! He taught me how to ride my bike. I loved learning how to ride my bike. My dad is really funny. He tells us a lot of jokes."

- Jenna Schulz, age 9

"My dad's special in a way that is a fun, loving, caring dad and he's the only one I know."

- Victoria Clark, age 9

"That he cares so much about me and always loves me no matter what! When my soccer league started at the YMCA, our coach did not show up for the first practice. All the kids were there to practice, so my Dad stepped up and took over. He got all the kids jerseys and we had a great practice."

- Cameron Olson, age 8

"My Dad is very special to me. He teaches me everything, like how to play sports, lessons about life and stuff."

- Jackson Walsh, age 10

"My Dad is SUPER and I would love for him to be the Daddy of the year. He teaches me lots of things and always looking out for me. He is always there for me and my sister and my brother. My Dad is so special. He tucks me in every night and let's me snuggle with him if I get scared."

- Savannah Walsh, age 8

"He loves me so much and he's a great Daddy because he came to my pre-K school every day to see me and he still checks on me a lot this year."

- Sierra Walsh, age 5