Dad's Club Presents Check for $9K to Ridge Wood Elementary

What do a group of about 60 dads like to do in their spare time? In Northville, they like to volunteer for their children's school. 

The Ridge Wood Dad's Club is a group of fathers who support and raise money for Ridge Wood Elementary School, 49775 Six Mile Road.  Todd Gattoni, club president, and dads from the club presented a giant check for $9,185 to Principal Alicia Parsons, Assistant Principal Heather Bauer and staff at the school Thursday.

>>See the video above of the Dad's Club donating the giant check. 

The money came from the group's Golf Scramble last month.

"Teachers and staff came out in droves," Gattoni said. 

Tickets were $100 per golfer, and the event included a live and silent auction and dinner. The group also raised funds in July from its first event, a movie night at the school with a 40-foot tall inflatable movie screen to watch Despicable Me.

The dads formed the club less than six months ago and have already raised about $12,000 for the "Leader in Me" program, he said. 

Part of the Dad's Club mission is to encourage dads to spend time with their children in the school environment and provide positive male role models at school. They plan to coordinate and sponsor after-school programs like rocket-building, host father-daughter and mother-son dances and support school maintenance like its landscaping. 

The Ridge Wood Dad's Club is on its way to becoming a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Until then, Gattoni said they will continue sending all funds directly to the school. 

These are the Dad's Club officers and directors: 

• Todd Gattoni – President
• Kevin Vissotski – Vice President
• Frank Eupizi - Treasurer
• Scott Lauffer  - Secretary
• Lloyd O’Dell - Director
• Dave Tuer – Director

For more information about the Ridge Wood Dad's Club, contact Gattoni at tgattoni@dykema.com.