Men — it’s time again to grow a mustache for your fellow man’s health: Movember 2024 has arrived!

City Dads Group and Fathering Together are joining forces with two other fatherhood organizations in November 2024 to form a “No Dad Alone” team to participate in Movember, a fund- and awareness-raising campaign to spark conversations about men’s physical and mental health issues.

Movember challenges dudes every November to grow a mustache that will serve as a living awareness ribbon and talking point for the cause. The funds raised during the campaign go for research into and public education on issues such as testicular cancer, prostate cancer, mental health and suicide.

The event is annually run by The Movember Foundation, a leading global organization that brings awareness to serious health concerns for men. It has raised hundreds of millions of dollars since its founding in 2003 to help fund hundreds of health projects globally, according to its website. The organization’s work hopes to counter some of these frightening statistics regarding men’s health:

• Testicular cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men ages 18 to 39.
• Men, on average, die five years earlier than women in the United States.
• One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lives.
• Four of every five suicides are men.

* Join our Movember 2024 #NoDadsAlone team! *

Movember 2024 finds City Dads and its partner, Fathering Together, teaming with The National At-Home Dad Network and Fathers Eve. In June, the groups agreed to join forces as part of a “No Dad Alone” campaign to amplify each other’s messages to help fathers recognize they have help and support in their parenting work.

City Dads has teamed with fatherhood organizations for Movember since 2011, helping to raise more than $135,000 for the cause.

You can help our Movember 2024 team and the cause in several ways:

• Join our Movember City Dads/Fathering Together team. Sign up at our fundraising page. You’ll get a personal fundraising page to link others to.
• Grow a mustache. Shave your face on Oct. 31 and then don’t cut the fuzz off your upper lip for 31 days. Show it off to all, in person and on social media, and tell them why you are growing it. Don’t forget to ask for a donation to help the cause and link to your fundraising page.
• Move rather than mo. Sometimes you can’t grow a mustache. Maybe it’s genetics, maybe it’s because it would jeopardize your marriage. You can still help by committing to walk or run 60 miles in November — one mile for each of the 60 men lost worldwide every hour to suicide. Again, use your personal Movember Dads page for fundraising.
• Host a Mo-ment. Get with your Movember supporters — in person or virtually — for a game night, a sporting event or maybe an initial “shave off” to get the ball rolling and draw attention to the cause.
• Donate. At the least, you can always simply give to the cause. Donate to an individual or our Movember #NoDadsAlone team as a whole.

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This blog post is part of the #NoDadAlone campaign. Fathering Together/City Dads Group, the National At-Home Dad Network, and Fathers Eve are joining forces to amplify messages that help dads recognize we are not alone! Follow #NoDadAlone on Instagram, and learn more at NoDadAlone.com.

Three leading fatherhood organizations are undertaking a yearlong “No Dad Alone” campaign to help more fathers find support and an understanding community.

Fathering Together, of which City Dads Group is a part, The National At-Home Dad Network and Fathers Eve will cross-promote each other’s work to amplify information, resources and events available to dads through each entity. The groups plan to use their organizations’ platforms, including social media, newsletters, blogs and podcasts. The three organizations combined have more than 180,000 followers on various popular social media channels.

“The No Dad Alone campaign aims to address the ever-growing stats surrounding men’s health, specifically, the negative stigmas and untrue portrayals of fathers in the home and beyond,” said Cordan James, executive director of Fathering Together. “The web of resources this collaborative provides will instantly increase the positive impacts of fathers. It will also give people language to address, engage and support fathers in need and elevate the spirit of fatherhood.”

No Dad Alone arose, in part, from increasing U.S. media attention to male loneliness, particularly among fathers. Societal pressures about maintaining traditional masculinity (for example, remaining strong, stoic and independent in difficult times) and fewer resources and attention devoted to helping dads as opposed to moms contribute to these issues.

“Fathers are often isolated and they are not always sure what to do or how to alleviate it,” said John Francis, a co-organizer of the Twin Cities Dad Group and founder of Fathers Eve. “I think this campaign brings awareness to an important issue many guys have trouble with.”

Keith Nagel, president of The National At-Home Dad Network, said, “By highlighting and showcasing each of our organizations’ great work, we can create and build a much larger network of support for all our dads than we could individually. We hope to make other dads aware of our support offerings while connecting our members with ones we don’t provide.”

The ambitious campaign, using the social media hashtag #NoDadAlone, starts Father’s Day weekend 2024 to the following one in 2025. A key kickoff and celebratory ending point will be the annual Fathers Eve celebrations those weekends.

“From my work in the fatherhood area for the last dozen or so years, I see lots of people and groups doing good things to try to help their audience or their local market, but I don’t see a lot of connectivity,” Francis said. “They’re great guys all doing good work. When we work together I know we will make a much larger impact on this important issue.”

About the No Dad Alone organizers

Each organization involved in No Dad Alone has embarked on similar, though separate, missions to provide support and community to dads. At various times, each has worked with the other on a campaign or event.

The National At-Home Dad Network was established in 2003, initially under the name Daddyshome Inc. The first national nonprofit for at-home dads, it focuses on advocacy, education and support for families with fathers as primary caregivers. The network offers a variety of online communities, webinars and virtual opportunities to connect throughout the year. Its annual conference for at-home fathers, HomeDadCon, marks its 28th year this October with a three-day event in St. Louis.

Since 2012, Fathers Eve has gathered groups of dads — formally or informally in public or private spaces — the night before Father’s Day to celebrate each other and the joys and challenges of fatherhood. The event, held in dozens of U.S. towns and cities, lets dads offer support to each other and help foster a positive fathering environment. It culminates in a toast, in person and online, at 8 p.m. local time in each U.S. time zone.

Fathering Together started with the “Dads with Daughters” Facebook group in 2018. It quickly grew to have more than 125,000 followers supporting each other’s efforts to be great fathers. In 2020, the founders created the current nonprofit. It offers Facebook communities, a podcast, and a variety of webinars and resources supporting dads.

City Dads Group began in 2008 as a playgroup for at-home dads and their children in New York City. It now consists of groups of fathers who meet, with and without their kids, in 40 cities across the United States and one in Canada. City Dads Group merged with Fathering Together in 2023.

Dads can celebrate and appreciate each others’ parenting work on the night of June 15, 2024 — Fathers Eve.

The annual event, now in its 13th year, is meant to allow dads to have a chance to show gratitude and support for one another. This differs from Father’s Day as that holiday is for families to honor dads.

Since 2012, groups of fathers have gathered formally or informally in public or private spaces to swap parenting stories, offer support to each other and help foster a positive fathering environment. John Francis, a co-organizer of our Twin Cities Dads Group in Minnesota, began the tradition by inviting several dad friends to his house for beers, billiards and swapping stories about fatherhood. Fathers Eve is now recognized as an official “national day” by the National Day Archives.

Over the years, scores of celebrations have been held annually in backyards and businesses across the United States and a few international locations. The organization has also helped raise thousands of dollars for parenting and children’s organizations.

Where to celebrate Fathers Eve 2024

Several City Dads chapters will be among those hosting Fathers Eve 2024 events (click city to find event listing and RSVP) :

• Charlotte, N.C.
• Chicago
• Cincinnati
• Columbus, Ohio
• Denver
• Fresno, Calif.
• Los Angeles
• Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. – Twin Cities
• New York City – Port Washington
• Phoenix

(DISCLOSURE: City Dads Group has been a longtime sponsor for Fathers Eve, donating money and helping organize events through our chapters. Fathering Together is also a sponsor.)

A complete listing of Fathers Eve 2024 events can be found on its website.

Virtual celebration available online

If you can’t attend a Fathers Eve 2024 event in person, don’t despair. A virtual online live-streaming of celebrations will again be held this year. A live stream replaced in-person events in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has supplemented organized celebrations since.

The online event starts at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 15. The countdowns to the annual celebratory toast start shortly before the start of 8 p.m. local time in each U.S. time zone. You can sign up for the live stream to share at your event or watch individually.

Fathers Eve, the annual event for dads to celebrate each other with each other, is back in 2022. However, its founder wants to add a new twist: community engagement and family participation.

Event founder John Francis said he wants those planning the pre-Father’s Day celebrations to add a local service project to their parties. These should be something that family members, friends and neighbors can participate in.

“It can be as simple a taking a garbage bag in hand and picking up trash,” Francis said in an interview. “While your out doing it, talk to people about doing good. It doesn’t have to be an expansive or complicated project to accomplish the goal.”

For example, members, families and friends of Minnesota’s Twin Cities Dads Group, which he is a part of, are helping rehabilitating a playground the afternoon of June 18. Later, they will head to a nearby brewery for the traditional toast for fatherhood on the night before Father’s Day.

“Most dads want to do the right thing when given the opportunity to,” he said. “We hope to encourage this and share this with our wives, children, friends and community. This way we expand into something bigger and better.”

One group the organization hopes to attract is father figures, even if they are not dads themselves. After reading stories about the problems of children who grew up fatherless, Francis began thinking about getting other men involved with Fathers Eve through community projects. He hopes their actions could help create a “showcase” of inspiring male role models for others, especially children.

Charity component dropped

Fathers Eve started in 2012. Francis invited several dad friends to his house for beers, billiards and swapping stories about fatherhood. The hope: support for each other in effort to become better parents. Over the years, scores of celebrations have been held annually in backyards and businesses across the United States and a few internationally locations.

“Gathering the night before Father’s Day gives dads a chance to spend time with each other to focus on sharing ideas, supporting what it means to be better dads, making stronger connections, all while doing something good for the community,” the father of two told City Dads back in 2017.

Fathers Eve previous encouraged event organizers to include a charity component that assists a parenting or children’s cause. However, fundraising for others proved to be difficult.

“We don’t want to be just another charity organization. We want to be role models for family and community,” Francis said in explaining the shift.

Where to celebrate Fathers Eve 2022

Several City Dads chapters will be among those hosting Fathers Eve 2022 events (click city to find event listing and RSVP) :

• Charlotte, N.C.
• Chicago
• Cincinnati
• Denver
• Kansas City, Mo.
• Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. – Twin Cities
• New York City – Harlem and Port Washington
• Orlando

(DISCLOSURE: City Dads Group is a national sponsor for Fathers Eve 2022.)

A complete listing of Fathers Eve 2022 events can be found on its website.

If you can’t attend an event, don’t despair. An online live streaming of celebrations will take place on Zoom and Facebook Live.

A live stream replaced in-person events in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and supplemented last year’s celebrations. In 2022, it will be simplified to mostly a brief welcome and countdown, Francis said.

The countdowns to the annual celebratory toast will start shortly before the start of 8 p.m. in each U.S. time zone, starting with Eastern time, on June 18. You can sign up for the live stream to share at your event or watch individually.

Fathers Eve is back in 2021 for NYC Dads Group members! A flag football game and dads night out will be held the day before Father’s Day in Manhattan for our guys to celebrate the joys of being dads together.

UPDATED 6/8/21, 4 p.m.: A second event that night has been added in Port Washington for our members living in our closer to Long Island. More details below.

The 2021 Fathers Eve NYC party starts at 4 p.m., Saturday, June 19, with the game at the Morningside Park softball fields in Manhattan. Two hours later, the fun moves to The Harlem Tavern for food, drink and an 8 p.m. raising of the glass to toast fathers around the world.

Participation in the flag football game is not necessary for attending the tavern event, but scorekeepers and refs will be needed. A few fans cheering on the sidelines is good, too. Our members are encouraged to bring their other dad friends but an RSVP is needed.

+ RSVP for Fathers Eve 2021 Manhattan event +

The Port Washington, N.Y., has also been held in year’s past as a local restaurant. This year’s event will be outdoors and be focused around the live stream, according to its organizer.

+ RSVP for Fathers Eve 2021 Port Washington event +

Fathers Eve is the brainchild of John Francis, a co-organizer of our Twin Cities Dads Group in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area of Minnesota. He first gathered several of his dad friends in a residential garage in night before Father’s Day 2012 to break bread, drink beers, and swap stories about fatherhood while offering each other support in their efforts to become better parents.

(DISCLOSURE: City Dads Group is a national sponsor for Fathers Eve 2021 as it has been for the past several years.)

After a banner year in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic start in March 2020 forced Francis to quickly pivot from in-person events to a livestream program. A roughly 40-minute live video feed of programming, hosted from his garage where the first event was held nine years ago, was broadcast for each of the four mainland U.S. time zones. Each culminated in a local 8 p.m. toast to the joys of being a dad.

With the virus threat subsiding throughout most of the United States, Francis said he is expecting about 30 locations to host in-person events, though he is hoping the get the number as high as 100.

Buoyed by the success of last year’s livestream, Francis said he is keeping it to anchor the in-person events and also bring in others unable or hesitant to attend a gathering this year.

For the Fathers Eve 2021 livestream, to be broadcast via Facebook Live, Francis said he aims to add some more humorous components, such as clips from comedians, and some new speakers as well as highlighting sponsors and fatherhood causes. Sponsors this year include Sports Clips haircuts (national) and IHeartRadio and ACE Hardware (both local).

With COVID-19 restrictions loosening and infection rates dropping, Fathers Eve 2021 — the pre-Father’s Day celebration of fatherhood — will once again feature in-person gatherings but also keep the livestream countdown it debuted last year in wake of the pandemic.

Fathers Eve, brainchild of Twin Cities Dads member John Francis, started in 2012. He invited several of his dad friends to his house to drink beers, shoot some pool and swap stories about fatherhood while offering each other support in their effort to become better parents. A charity component is often included in the festivities that assists a parenting or children’s cause. Children’s Miracle Network hospitals is a national recipient this year, but local charities sometimes benefit from those events. Over the years, scores of celebrations have been held annually in backyards, bars and restaurants across the United States. A few even took place internationally in places as far away as Costa Rica and London.

(DISCLOSURE: City Dads Group is a national sponsor for Fathers Eve 2021 as it has been for the past several years.)

After a banner year in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic start in March 2020 forced Francis to quickly pivot from in-person events to a livestream program. A roughly 40-minute live video feed of programming, hosted from his garage where the first event was held nine years ago, was broadcast for each of the four mainland U.S. time zones. Each culminated in a local 8 p.m. toast to the joys of being a dad.

+ Find a local Fathers Eve 2021 event +

“I’m NOT a tech guy, but we figured it out, got some help and it was fun,” Francis said in an email interview with City Dads Group. “We missed the larger group and seeing others online (but) we DID have 7,000+ views, so that’s a win!”

With the virus threat subsiding throughout most of the United States, Francis said he is expecting about 30 locations to host in-person events, though he is hoping the get the number as high as 100. Local City Dads chapters have been big supporters of Fathers Eve events in the past, and several have already committed to participating.

Buoyed by the success of last year’s livestream, Francis said he is keeping it to anchor the in-person events and also bring in others unable or hesitant to attend a gathering this year.

For the Fathers Eve 2021 livestream, to be broadcast via Facebook Live, Francis said he aims to add some more humorous components, such as clips from comedians, and some new speakers as well as highlighting sponsors and fatherhood causes. Sponsors this year include Sports Clips haircuts (national) and IHeartRadio and ACE Hardware (both local).

Fathers Eve — the annual pre-Father’s Day celebration of the dad life — will become Virtual Fathers Eve in 2020.

The move to an online platform became necessary with the likelihood social distancing measures and limits on large gatherings will still be in place in many states due novel coronavirus concerns.

“Even if everyone got the green light and all the governors and whatever opened up every place that could, I don’t think people are quite ready to go back to big groups of people in close proximity,” Fathers Eve founder and Twin Cities Dads Group co-organizer John Francis recently told the NOMADAD podcast.

So instead of groups of dads gathering in bars, restaurants and backyards, as has been done in past years, a roughly 40-minute live video feed of programming will occur hourly starting at 7:40 p.m. Eastern time on June 20. Each of the four live feeds will be timed to culminate in a local 8 p.m. toast to the joys of being a dad in each of the four mainland U.S. time zones.

Francis said that the virtual Fathers Eve feed will originate from his garage, the same place where he held the first one with a few friends back in 2012. The content will include messages from the event’s sponsors (disclosure: City Dads Group is one of them), a contest and — as is tradition — a pitch to donate money to a worthy cause. This year’s fundraising will benefit The Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

The virtual Fathers Eve event is expected to be broadcast on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and the Fathers Eve website, where details for watching will be available when ready. Francis said he has hopes that, where safe and possible, some small groups of dads all around the country will get together to watch.

Francis started Fathers Eve eight years ago, inviting several dad friends to his house to drink beers, shoot some pool and swap stories about fatherhood while offering each other support in their efforts to become better parents. Over the years, dozens and dozens of celebrations have been held annually in locations all over the United States with some taking place as far away as Costa Rica and London.

Be it backyard cookouts, touch football games or just beers at a local bar, several City Dads Group chapters plan to gather June 15 for a pre-Father’s Day celebration of the dad life.

The events are organized under the banner of Fathers Eve, an international movement sparked by one of our Minnesota members. It’s purpose is to give men a chance to get together and toast the greatest title any man can hold: dad.

Twin Cities Dads Group co-organizer John Francis created the event in 2012. He invited several dad friends to his house to drink beers, shoot some pool and swap stories about fatherhood while offering each other support in their efforts to become better parents. The celebrations have spread as far away as Costa Rica and London, and now include major national sponsors such as Smarty Pants vitamins beer and SportsClips haircuts. (Disclosure: City Dads Group has been a strategic partner with Fathers Eve for the past several years).

Forty-eight Fathers Eve celebrations were held in 2018 with more than 1,000 dads participating and more than $6,000 being raised for worthy causes, according to the Fathers Eve Facebook page. This year, the organization is aiming for 100 events.

Fathers Eve 2019: City Dads style

As of publication, 11 City Dads Group chapters have scheduled gatherings for June 15, aka Fathers Eve 2019. A list of those cities and events can be found on our website’s Meetups page.

These include:

• Fathers in our Fresno chapter will meet at a local entertainment center for three hours of laser tag, arcade time and virtual reality play. The event will also raise funds for NAMI Fresno, a grassroots support and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with severe mental illnesses.
• Two events being held by our NYC Dads Group. Members from Long Island plan a simple gathering at a Port Washington, N.Y., restaurant with giveaways for those who attend. Those living in the city will gather for a touch football game followed by a cookout in a Harlem park.
• Meanwhile, while several groups plan celebrations at local taphouses or brew pubs, our Cincinnati dads plan to raise a toast to fatherhood with a backyard barbecue at one its organizer’s homes.

To join a Fathers Eve 2019 celebration near you — with or without City dads Group or to start your own, visit the Fathers Eve website.

Happy Father’s Day

 Sunday 8:30am:

I am making a bagel while putting away clean dishes, waiting for my coffee to be done brewing and singing along with Pearl Jam. My boys are watching Larvas on Netflix in the living room and my wife is back asleep in bed (she was probably up at 5am with Mason). Miles turns 8 this Saturday. This is my 8th Fathers Day?!?!

This is fatherhood at it’s best

I am not bragging, but more enjoying this parenting bliss that can go as fast as it comes. The first full week of summer had a bit of a rough beginning but ended amazing. I feel like I am standing in the eye of a hurricane – I want to hold on to this as long as I can!

I took a big step back from social media to re-evaluate what was happening in my life. People ask if I am ok, worried I might be depressed. It’s actually the opposite, I haven’t been happier and more relaxed in a long time. I appreciate things more, I am communicating with my family better. Changing my focus has been awesome, but not without some downfalls.

 The time is flying by faster everyday. I rarely see my friends and although it does make me a little sad, I am happy to know that when I do see them it won’t be long until we fall right back into each other’s world laughing about old time and making new memories.

Fathers gather together

Last night was an amazing night at a friends house where we celebrated Father’s Day on Father’s Eve. I got to see friends I haven’t seen in a few years and meet new friends. For just for few hours we ate, drank and shared stories.

I am so blown away by the stories, it humbles me. There were all kind of dads, new dads, old dads, dads with a single child to dads with six kids! The diversity made it an incredible experience.

One dad had become a dad on a month’s notice. He stepped up to a bad situation and made sure he took care of what was most important (family). He has altered his whole existence for this child and it is the most unselfish thing a person can do. I won’t go into all of his story but it is one of many from last night.

There were different items being given away last night, such as Britax’s B-Mobile Stroller

The dads who were interested put their names the drawing and although I didn’t need it I wanted to put my name in and if I won I was giving it to the dad above. As luck has it, I won it and it was awesome to be able to give this guy something I know he will get good use out of!

Other dads had to wait years to have a child, which then ended up being twins. I can image the highs and lows of that situation. All of the fathers there had different stories of where they are, where the came from and where they are going.

I am extremely honored to be able to hang with these amazing fathers.

We are all on our own journeys but we all have the same objective, to be the best father we can be. I salute all the fathers out there that are taking an active role in their kids lives and I look forward to sharing many more Father’s Eves/Days with amazing fathers like last night.

Nineteen City Dads Groups are planning to ring in Father’s Day 2017 by raising a toast to dads everywhere and money for good causes the night before in “Fathers Eve” celebrations.

Fathers Eve is the brainchild of Twin Cities Dads Group co-organizer John Francis, and it is become an international happening with more than 40 events planned around the United States, and in Costa Rica and London.

Francis started the event in 2012, bringing together several of his dad friends in a residential garage to break bread, drink beers, and swap stories about fatherhood while offering each other support in their efforts to become better parents. The celebrations have grown each year since with this year’s jump from 11 events to 42 being the largest increase. Each event culminates with a toast to fatherhood at 8 p.m. local time.

“The purpose of Fathers Eve has remained the same since the start. Gathering the night before Father’s Day gives dads a chance to spend time with each other to focus on sharing ideas, supporting what it means to be better dads, making stronger connections, all while doing something good for the community,” said Francis, a father of two.

The “doing something good” component first came into play in 2015 when the celebration in Saint Paul, Minn., raised $12,000 for dad-related charities. Most host cities now raise funds to benefit similar organizations — local, national or international. Among this year’s beneficiaries is the The National At-Home Dad Network, which provides support, education and advocacy for dads who are primary caregivers to their children.

City Dads Group, which is a major sponsor for Fathers Eve, will have local chapters host gatherings this year in these locations:

• Austin, Texas
• Boston
• Charlotte, N.C.
• Chicago
• Cleveland
• Columbus, Ohio
• Dallas
• Fresno, Calif.
• Kansas City, Mo.
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Madison, Wisc.
• New York City
• Philadelphia
• Portland, Ore.
• Providence, R.I.
• Richmond, Va.
• San Francisco
• Saint Paul, Minn.

“Dads Nights Out are a fun part of every City Dads Group, so it was a natural fit to bring Fathers Eve to many of our cities across the country,” said Matt Schneider, co-founder of City Dads Groups and host for the NYC Dads Group’s Fathers Eve event. “We are thrilled to be able to support one of our own organizers, and especially happy that a portion of the money raised will be donated to our friends at the National At-Home Dad Network.”

To join a celebration near you or to start your own, visit the Fathers Eve website.