Men for Others Dinner

More than 500 fathers and sons from Jesuit High School enjoyed a wonderful evening of fellowship Sunday (April 2) at the 12th annual Men for Others Dinner at Higgins Hall, hosted by the Jesuit Dads' Club. (Homepage photo: William Muir, P '19 and Nick Muir '19.)

The powerful keynote address was delivered by Artie Boyle, a father of 13 whose extraordinary experience of faith and healing captivated the fathers and sons. Boyle was diagnosed 17 years ago with kidney and lung cancer and given a minimal chance of survival. But following a visit to the town of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the renowned site of Catholic pilgrimage, Boyle's life changed dramatically. 

An annual highlight of the Men for Others Dinner are the two senior speakers. This year, Lucas Uzdavinis ’17 (father Thomas Uzdavinis, P '11, '17, '20) and Tom Chadwick '17 (father Tom Chadwick, P '17) spoke from the heart about the tremendous impact their fathers have had on their lives. They explained how their large families - Chadwick has seven sisters, Uzdavinis four siblings - have been guided by the unwavering leadership of their fathers, through adversity and success.

Each year at the Men for Others Dinner, the Dads’ Club makes a generous donation to the school. Sunday, Dads’ Club president John Mace, P ’17 presented Jesuit president Fr. Richard C. Hermes, S.J. with a gift from the Dads’ Club of $300,000. The money was raised primarily through Dads’ Club coordination of parking for events at neighboring Raymond James Stadium during the 2016-17 school year.

Mace also presented the 2017 Michael G. Songy Award, the Dads’ Club’s highest honor, to Ken Darst, P '07, '15, '17, 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, including Mike Sweet, P '16, '19.

Please see below videos of the three speakers - Boyle, Uzdavinis, and Chadwick - and a photo slideshow from the evening.