SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — In honor of Father’s Day, families across the United States and right here in KELOLAND are taking some time to appreciate the father figures in their lives.
Nic Lisiecki and his family celebrated their Father’s Day at Sertoma Park.
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“I was just looking to kind of relax with the family a little bit. I was looking forward to not having to make breakfast this morning. It’s just the little things, nothing too crazy. It’s Father’s Day, so you can take a little bit of a load off, but you’re still on duty,” Lisiecki said.
But this wasn’t their first stop.
“We did get donuts because we love donuts,” Nic’s daugher, Rowan, said.
Also at the park was Chris Reitz and his family. To say Reitz’s son is important to him would be an understatement.
“He’s such a joy, and he’s worth waking up every morning and going through every week and every day together,” Reitz said.
Lisiecki and Reitz found themselves reflecting on what it means to be a dad.
“You’re not really living for yourself anymore; you’re living for them,” Lisiecki said.
“It brings me so much joy to be a dad, to be there for my son and support him, to work hard for him throughout the week, but also spend as much time with him outside of that,” Reitz said.
But both fathers know that the holiday isn’t just about them.
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“Just because they do so much. They sacrifice so much in life and what they do for their families. To be able to celebrate them, to honor them, I think, is really huge,” Reitz said.
“I guess being a father now, it gives me a deeper appreciation for my dad and all the kind of sacrifices that he’s made over the years, you know, the time he’s given and given up, to making sure that I could be the person I am today and that I can be successful and get where I wanted to be in life,” Lisiecki said.
The first Father’s Day was celebrated in Washington state in 1910, but it did not become a nationwide holiday until 1972.
