Father’s Day was marked Sunday by events including the traditional car show on Rodeo Drive, a remembrance service at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary and the Dodgers joining the rest of Major League Baseball in seeking to raise awareness of the fight against prostate cancer.
“Luxury in Motion” was the theme for the 30th anniversary edition of the Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance, which featured rare hypercars, vintage classics and exotic vehicles and included the North American public debuts of Lamborghini’s latest models, the Temerario and PHEV Urus SE
The Temerario is billed by Lamborghini as the brand’s “first super sports car … to be equipped with a V8 twin-turbo engine paired with three electric motors.” The Urus SE is Lamborghini’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle version of its luxury super SUV.
The show also included a skills demonstration by the Beverly Hills Police Department’s Motor Unit, food trucks and interactive displays.
A Father’s Day Remembrance Service was held at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Culver City with music, song, prayer and reflection celebrating and honoring fathers’ legacies from generation to generation.
As it has since 1996, Major League Baseball dedicated Father’s Day to the fight against prostate cancer. In all of Sunday’s games, including the Dodgers-San Francisco Giants game at Dodger Stadium, all on-field personnel wore specially designed blue-themed caps and blue ribbon decals. Blue is the color for prostate cancer awareness.
Some players used blue bats. A matching pair of blue socks was optional for every player.
The blue ribbon also appeared on the bases at each stadium and the official dugout lineup cards. MLB will direct 100% of its royalties from on-field Father’s Day socks and caps to MLB Charities, a nonprofit organization that will then donate those funds to the Prostate Cancer Foundation to support its mission in the fight against prostate cancer.
Dodger players’ fathers and their sons participated in the ceremonial first pitch Sunday and made the “It’s time for Dodger baseball” announcement.
In his Father’s Day proclamation, President Donald Trump said, “Whether by birth, adoption, or father figures, America’s dads help shape the character and future of our nation. Through their example, they instill strength, integrity and perseverance in their children.
“They rise early, work late, make sacrifices, and remain steadfast in their love and commitment to their families. Fathers lead through action, speak with purpose and impart wisdom honed by experience.”
Father’s Day began when Sonora Smart Dodd wanted to honor her father, William Jackson Smart, a single parent who raised six children in Spokane, Washington. She initially suggested June 5, the anniversary of his death.
However, when that date would not provide organizers with enough time to make arrangements, the first Father’s Day was celebrated in 1910 in Spokane on the third Sunday in June.
In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge recommended Father’s Day be a national holiday. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed Father’s Day as a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday in June, while President Richard Nixon signed a bill into law to do so in 1972.