Credit: Ainsley Jay

On Saturday, March 2, the Wayland Dads organization hosted one of their seasonal Saturday Morning Dad & Kid Drop-Ins in Loker Elementary School’s gymnasium. “[Wayland drop-ins are] mostly for the kids and gives them an opportunity to get out of the house into a new area,” Wayland dad and volunteer Judd Bornheimer said

On Saturday, March 2, the Wayland Dads organization hosted one of their seasonal morning dad and kid drop-ins in Loker Elementary School’s gymnasium. The group’s dad and kid winter drop-ins occur on the initial Saturday of each month and serve as an opportunity for children to play together and Wayland dads to network with each other.

“It’s a [great] place for [my son] to go on a winter Saturday,” Wayland parent Judd Bornheimer said. “[It’s] awesome because there’s not a lot of places that you can go that are not jammed with kids or cost money. I moved [to Wayland] two years ago and [the drop-ins] gave me an opportunity to meet some new people in town.”

In addition to the monthly drop-ins, Wayland Dads organizes a father and daughter breakfast at Mel’s Commonwealth Cafe, as well as an annual golf tournament at the Sandy Burr Country Club. Additionally, they also host a softball league for Wayland dads to be a part of.

“I played in a golf tournament at the Wayland Dad’s golf tournament and [a] couple of my neighbors [approached me], who have younger kids, about getting involved with [the monthly drop-ins],” Bornheimer said.

The organization was founded in 2015 by two Wayland dads, Scott Walters and Tyler Stole, with the purpose of hosting networking events to bring dads together, and to allow their younger kids to socialize. During the pandemic, Wayland Dads was unable to hold any community events.

“It’s hugely important to build community in a time like today,” Walters said. “Unfortunately, [the] community is breaking down, and we have the goal of building [the] community [back] up. The more parents who know about things happening in town in our community, the more involvement we get.”

Bornheimer said that last year, his neighbor Brian Robbins and other dads in Wayland, worked to restart the monthly drop-ins after they stopped during the pandemic.

“[Wayland drop-ins are] mostly for the kids and gives them an opportunity to get out of the house into a new area. I think it’s great [for dads] to meet other dads in town and get the social aspect,” Bornheimer said. “Also, at least from my house, my wife does a lot and so it gives her a little bit of a break. It’s a great bonding time for me and my son.”

Wayland parent Tom Osler first moved to Wayland in 2017. He initially heard about the event through a mutual friend living in Wayland. Tom Osler has a three-year-old daughter, a six-year-old son and a nine-year-old son who currently attend Loker.

“When I first came to town, I didn’t know many people, but this drop-in allowed me to meet pretty much all my friends that I have in town today,” Osler said

On average, around 30 Wayland kids attend the monthly drop-ins.

“It’s a great opportunity for all the kids to get together and run around and play and kind of have a different thing to do on a Saturday morning,” Wayland parent Patrick Flynn said. “It’s supposed to give moms a break and it does.”