February 25, 2023
The Dads of Castle Rock kicked off a new financial planning and education initiative held at Burly Brewing Company to introduce important financial life skills to the public taught by Sheldon Bain, Justin Kohnke, and Grant Van Der Jagt. 28 Castle Rock residents attended the first class in the series, covering many topics including IRA’s, 401k’s, taxes, life insurance w/ living benefits, trusts, wills, budgeting, and investing.
“We all had a lot of fun being with other families who were there who just wanted to get dressed up, be with their families, and have fun.”
The pancake breakfast was a testament to the kind of people that make up Castle Rock, and how they truly care about each other.
With the infamous words spoken by Robert Zearing, “Time to get to work,” the call to action was proclaimed, and the Dads of Castle Rock rallied.
“I felt proud before, but seeing the support from our community was overwhelming.”
“I was so happy to be able to do something bigger than myself that I knew would help so many people. It was a very humbling experience,”
On January 25th, 2022, the Board of Douglas County Commissioners recognized the Dads of Castle Rock Community Outreach for their efforts to generate donations for victims of the Marshall Fire. This group’s 2,000 members represent all social, economic, religious, political and racial backgrounds, and have a true passion for community.
“500 homes lost so far… Time to get to work.”
Written by Sean Berigan
On August 7th, from 1:00pm to 4:00pm, the Dads of Castle Rock hosted their second annual lemonade stand take-over. Dozens of dads met at Parrish Park at 12:30pm and were assigned one of two predetermined routes to ensure no stand was missed to visit 30 lemonade stands with 60 to 70 kids in the community selling lemonade and other treats.
From the moment the kids saw the convoy of vehicles approaching their lemonade stands, you knew they were well prepared. As they went over their sales lines in their minds and straightened up their stands, there was no doubt that these kids meant business, and they all nailed it!
Presentation was on point. From the well-designed banners and cool menu’s, the selection was awesome. Strawberry lemonade, watermelon lemonade, sparkling lemonade, sugar free lemonade, and even Jell-O shots (for the adults!) The young entrepreneurs even sold baked goods ranging from cookies, brownies, blueberry lemon bars, and even a stand with hot dogs with all the fixings, including chili! This was one of my favorite stops!
For me, this was a great opportunity to see my community get together and do something special. It’s something I’ve never done in any other neighborhood I’ve ever lived in. To be a part of this was such an awesome and moving experience. Seeing my son Jase greet all of his new neighbors and hesitantly hand over his money for lemonade was what sealed the deal! I knew this was more than just lemonade and snacks. It was a great time for families to meet and interact with each other, and it was a valuable experience for these kids. And Jase can’t wait to do it again! Possibly open a stand of his own next time.
As a father who recently moved to Castle Rock a little over 4 months ago, this trip around town brought me to neighborhoods that I hadn’t previously been and having the opportunity to meet all the parents was an incredible way for me to meet other parents in the group and community. Knowing we have a common interest in our children’s future reinforces our decision to live and raise our children in Castle Rock.
The Dads of Castle Rock hosted their first annual Halfway to Halloween event at the Castle View High School north parking lot on June 12th from 2pm to 7pm. 30 vendors, a mix between local families and businesses volunteered to pass out candy to the estimated 600-700 kids as they trick-or-treated in the summer heat.
The Halfway to Halloween was an idea from Tanner Cole, the Dads of Castle Rock Director of Events.
“We wanted to have a Trunk or Treat style, basically Halloween without the kids needing to wear their winter coats. Kids and their parents often put in so much time and effort into making their costumes only to have to wear coats over them because it’s so cold outside when they are Trick-or-Treating.”
Tanner Cole
All the venders who were there to pass out candy to the kids were amazing. The decorations on their vehicles and trunks were all spectacular, and they all brought an incredible amount of energy to ensure the kids had fun. The IREA Lineman, the dragster, the classic cars, and the bounce houses were an incredible addition to the already incredible vendor line up.
Local food trucks Wada Rice Company, Passport Burger, and Kona Ice were on site providing everyone with delicious food and shaved ice to help cool everyone down.
The planning for the Halfway to Halloween event started in the middle of February, and countless hours were spent working through all of the logistics, permits, planning, and organizing so the event would be a success.
“We definitely made an impact in the community, as many parents thanked us for putting this on.
Nate Hoff, Dads of Castle Rock Director of Merchandise
