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Daddy and Me Family Fun Day hits in Hyde Park
Fifth such event a success

The fifth annual Daddy and Me Family Fun Day went off without a hitch on Saturday, with even the weather giving a bit of a reprieve.
While the forecast said originally there were going to be heat advisories, clouds kept the sun from getting too hot as families came down to the Martini Shell in Hyde Park to have fun and learn.
Organizer Sahirah Muhammad said the Daddy and Me literacy program was first started by her brother, Marzuq Muhammad, back in 2018 as a monthly book club to help promote literacy and education.
“Shortly after, he passed away,” she said. “But the dads wanted to keep it going. So we’ve since formalized and become a 501(c)3 nonprofit, and we started doing the Family Fun Day in 2021 as a part of his legacy. Just a way for the community to come out, engage in activities and have a great time in a safe enriching environment.”
Sahirah Muhammad said they had more than 50 partner organizations and vendors at the Martini Shell Park, along with entertainers and live music throughout the day.
“We have face painting, a local nail salon doing free express manni’s for the kids, we have local barber shops doing haircuts, we have Imani Massage doing massage for the moms and dads, and more. We have New England Audio and Sound doing the sound for the event, and the Phi Sci Omega Fraternity is hosting our literacy tent, where we have guest authors come in and donate books to the kids to help them build their home libraries,” she said. “So the community support has been overwhelming and we really appreciate it.”
“Every year we’re stressed about the rain, and this year the weather is just perfect,” she said. “We just want folks to come out and have a great time and the kids to come get their faces painted, get free books, make their own Father’s Day gifts, and more.”
The Muhammad family was all around the event on Saturday, with Sahira’s dad Alief running the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) tent, where he provided age-appropriate activities, like Lego, just a little bit across from one of the bouncy houses, presumably because gravity calculations are a big part of STEM and physics.
“Once a year we have folks come out here with your white handkerchief for some peace, harmony and maybe a bit of fun,” he said. “We want everybody to have fun.
“I’m a retired math teacher and my daughter is a civil engineer,” he said. “I taught in the Boston Public Schools and that’s how I got here. The kids here love this, but it’s the parents I got to work on!”
Vendors from businesses across Hyde Park dotted the landscape, as well as representatives from city services like the Boston Water and Sewer Commission and the Boston Fire Department, the latter of which allowed children to work the fire hoses and tour an engine.
Resident Nathaniel Nelson said he came by because he wanted to give his daughter something fun to do.
“I saw this last year and I thought it was pretty cool, and I hoped my daughter would like it,” he said. “If she’s having fun, I’m having fun. That’s all that matters!”
Resident Jasmine Brown said she and her son were also enjoying the day.
“This is my first time and we’re having fun,” she said.
For more information on Daddy and Me, go to https://www.daddyandmeboston.com
About the author
Jeff Sullivan Covers local news and community stories.

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