For dads– The staff at Sunny Glen Children’s Home is honoring fathers and father figures on Saturday, June 28, during the home’s 2nd Annual Fatherhood Festival. Seen here is Sunny Glen’s Administration Building. (San Benito News/Ray Quiroga)
By TRINA “INDI” JOHNSON
Special to the NEWS
A morning of light-hearted games and heartfelt acknowledgment is planned for Saturday, June 28, as Sunny Glen Children’s Home hosts its 2nd Annual Fatherhood Festival.
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., families are gathering at the Poenisch Counseling Center, 2385 W. Expressway 83 in San Benito. Admission is free. Picnic-style plates are being served. Children will chase prizes across the grass. Resource tables, thoughtfully set beneath the sun, offer guidance for parents, caregivers, and those stepping in where others cannot.
This isn’t just for biological fathers, say organizers, it is a space built for stepdads, grandfathers, foster dads, and mentors, anyone who shows up, stays, and gives what they can.
The festival returns after its inaugural run in 2024, when families gathered at the same site for a day that was both lighthearted and meaningful. That effort set the tone for what’s become an annual tradition.
Sunny Glen has been present in the Rio Grande Valley since 1936, founded to serve “abused, neglected, and forgotten children,” as noted on its website.
In the words of Executive Director Chase Palmer, “God is the Father to the fatherless and will supply all of our needs in Jesus Christ. This is what motivates us at Sunny Glen.” That spiritual foundation remains central to the work done across the nonprofit’s campus, from foster placements to residential programs and trauma-informed counseling.
Palmer writes, “We see our children grow, we see our children regain what was taken from them, and we see our children prosper from the loving environment that we are blessed to provide for them.” The Poenisch Counseling Center, which is hosting the festival, is part of that broader mission, offering therapeutic support to families navigating loss, transition, or fracture.
Community-centered events have long been part of Sunny Glen’s rhythm. In September 2024, the nonprofit held its 10th annual Incredible Kidz Color Fun Run at McKelvey Park in Harlingen, where families ran, walked, and laughed their way through clouds of color. In February 2025, supporters gathered once again for the second annual FORE! The Kids TopGolf Classic, a spirited fundraiser with a serious purpose.
The Fatherhood Festival continues in that spirit, offering a moment to pause and honor the quiet strength of those holding families together, according to organizers.
For more information, contact Juan Hernandez at juan.hernandez@sunnyglen.org or (956) 399-5356.
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