Santa Fe Christian had their first day of school last week and the campus was filled with smiles, school spirit and 350 pounds of Brandt beef.

The dads at SFC carried on their tradition of preparing lunch for students at SFC on the first day of school, ensuring that everyone started the school year with a full stomach.

Over 50 dads lined the field grilling burgers and packaging brown bag lunch sacks, anticipating feeding over 700 kids and all of the SFC staff. 

“We cooked 950 burgers and about 200 hotdogs,” said Sam Mercer, SFC Dad. “A part of the mission of the Men of SFC is to serve the school and our kids in a Christ-like fashion. The BBQ is a great way to model this to our kids.”

A unique touch this year was each brown bag had a special note written by one of the dads in colored markers. One bag read “have a great year at SFC,” “Jesus loves you” and Bible verses.

“It is so fun for our kids to see the great partnership between our parents and our campus,” said middle school’s assistant principal, Kristi Ellis. “The Men of SFC amplify the good that is happening here with their service and their smiles. We love our dads!” 

The involvement of dads on campus makes a huge impact on the students at SFC. Dads can often be seen praying together before school, helping escort kids out of the car during carpool drop off and joining together for fellowship. These dads at SFC play an integral role in the school community

“We also focus on building a community of Christian brothers within the school,” said Mercer. “We want dads to really get to know each other and their families. The men who show up to help work together against a tight deadline and along the way get to know each other better. This event also draws new dads. There’s no better way to get plugged in than to show up for the BBQ.” 

Read here in the San Diego Union Tribune.