Fathers and Sons

More than 600 fathers and sons from Jesuit High School enjoyed a wonderful evening Sunday (April 24) at the 11^th annual Men for Others Dinner at Higgins Hall.

The keynote address was delivered by Vice Admiral Joe Maguire, a Navy SEAL who heads the non-profit Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Maguire spoke of his extraordinary experiences as a SEAL, and examined the mission of Jesuit High School. His closing message was about how we all are capable of much more than we know.

An annual highlight of the Men for Others Dinner are the two senior speakers. This year, John Bencivenga ’16 (father John Bencivenga) and Nick Perillo ’16 (father Joe Perillo) spoke about the tremendous positive impact their fathers have had on their lives. They explained how the unwavering presence and leadership of their fathers guided their families through adversity.

Each year at the Men for Others Dinner, the Jesuit Dads’ Club, which coordinates the event, makes a generous donation to the school. Sunday, Dads’ Club president Tim Salzsieder, P ’16, ’20 presented Jesuit president Fr. Richard C. Hermes, S.J. with a gift from the Dads’ Club of $250,000. The money was raised primarily through Dads’ Club coordination of parking for events at neighboring Raymond James Stadium during the 2015-16 school year.

Salzsieder also presented the 2016 Michael G. Songy Award, the Dads’ Club’s highest honor, to Kevin O’Brien ’81, for his service to the Dads’ Club and Jesuit High School. Award namesake Mike Songy, P ’98, ’00 was present at the event along with several past recipients of the award.

Please see videos below of the three speakers - Vice Admiral Maguire, Bencivenga, and Perillo - a video of highlights of the event, and a photo slideshow from the evening.