National Fatherhood Initiative Honors Dwyane Wade with Fatherhood Award™

Miami Heat Star Recognized for His Dedication to His Children

GERMANTOWN, Md., June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) has named Dwyane Wade a recipient of a 2011 Fatherhood Award™ for his dedication to his two sons.

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Wade was recently awarded custody of his children, and despite the demands on his time as a professional athlete, he is committed to maintaining a high level of involvement in their lives.

Roland C. Warren, president of NFI, said, "This Fatherhood Award™ reflects Dwyane's commitment to being the kind of dad his sons need him to be. He gives dads everywhere a great example of what it means to be an involved, responsible, and committed father."

Dwyane Wade has experienced a whirlwind career both on and off the court, beginning with his unparalleled career at Marquette University and continuing in 2003 when he joined the Miami Heat as the fifth pick of the NBA Draft.  He went on to lead the team to the 2006 Championship win and became MVP of the Finals.  Not only does Dwyane shine on the court, but he has had a major influence on underprivileged youth in his hometowns of Chicago and Miami through his Wade's World Foundation, which he founded in 2005.  Just a few of his recent accomplishments include being named the 2010 NBA All-Star MVP, the Huffington Post's Number One "Featured Doer" for his philanthropic work, and winning the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for the entire 2010 offseason. 

"I am so thrilled to be given this award, especially because it is in recognition of the most important thing in my life, my kids.  Nothing in the world compares to the happiness that they bring me each and every day," said Wade.  "I know that my biggest responsibility is to be there for them 100% and to demonstrate to other fathers that it is possible to be a strong male figure in your children's lives regardless of what else is going on in your life."

Inaugurated in 1997, the Fatherhood Awards™ are presented each year to individuals, corporations, and organizations that make a substantial contribution to strengthening involved, responsible, and committed fatherhood.  Past Fatherhood Award™ winners include: actor James Earl Jones, former-NFL coach Tony Dungy, country music superstar Tim McGraw, Johnson & Johnson, and Chevrolet.

As the premier fatherhood renewal organization in the country, National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) works in every sector and at every level of society to engage fathers in the lives of their children.  NFI is the #1 provider of fatherhood resources in the nation. Since 2004, through FatherSOURCE™, its national resource center, NFI has distributed over 5.7 million resources, and has trained over 7,600 practitioners and over 3,500 organizations on how to deliver programming to dads. NFI is the most quoted authority on fatherhood in America. Since 2009, NFI has been mentioned in over 1,200 news stories, and makes regular appearances in national media to discuss the importance of involved, responsible, and committed fatherhood. Learn more at fatherhood.org.

SOURCE National Fatherhood Initiative