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East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania selected Carey Casey, chief executive officer of the National Center for Fathering (NCF), to be the keynote speaker for the 2017 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Breakfast. The 20^th annual celebration honoring Dr. King is scheduled for Monday, January 16, 2017, at 8 a.m. in the Mattioli Recreation Center on ESU’s campus. The theme of this year’s breakfast is “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”

Casey has earned a reputation as a dynamic communicator, especially on the topic of men being good fathers. He’s known as a compassionate ambassador, particularly within the American sports community. He is also author of the book Championship Fathering: How to Win at Being a Dad and general editor of the book 21-Day Dad’s Challenge: Three Weeks to a Better Relationship with Your Kids.

Casey’s passion begins with his own father. “Words cannot express and thoughts cannot bring to one’s imagination how thankful I am that my father was there in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963 when another father shared his dream of how he hoped he would live in a country one day where his children would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” Casey said. “Dr. King didn’t just preach sermons – he was a sermon – and he has influenced me greatly, to say the least. He models for me every day what it means to be a man of God, a husband and a father as he served humanity.”

Since 2009, Carey has served on the White House Task Force on Fatherhood and Healthy Families. He also serves as a member of the executive committee of the National Fatherhood Leaders Group, which promotes responsible fatherhood policy, research, advocacy and practice. In June 2012, Carey was selected as a Fatherhood Champion of Change, as part of President Obama’s “Winning the Future” initiative, honoring those individuals shaping the fatherhood field and fathers themselves through their diligent work as “Fatherhood Champions of Change.”

Casey joined NCF in March 2006, after 18 years in various roles with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), most recently as president of the FCA Foundation, gaining significant leadership experience with a large, successful, national nonprofit organization. His career has also included serving as chaplain at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys under Hall of Fame Coach Tom Landry, and chaplain for the Kansas City Chiefs. He continues to speak on life issues for numerous professional and college sports teams across America.

Carey also served for five years as co-pastor of Lawndale Community Church—the inner-city church in Chicago’s west side recognized by the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Foundation. At Lawndale, Carey helped empower the community with health care, housing, education and economic growth. Carey has also served as a lecturer at the World Congress on Sports, the college football Senior Bowl, the National Association of Basketball Coaches Convention at the Final Four, and the Super Bowl. He has been featured in many local and national publications and broadcasts.

Reserve a Space Today

Reservations are now being taken for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Breakfast at a cost of $40 per person, $15 per student and $300 for a table of eight. Proceeds will benefit the Gertrude Mary Smith Boddie Scholarship Fund at ESU, which provides financial assistance to undergraduate students of color. In 1904 Ms. Boddie was the first African-American student to graduate from what was then known as East Stroudsburg State Normal School and ultimately became East Stroudsburg University in 1983.

As a result of the breakfast, three Boddie Scholarship awardees will each receive a $2,975 scholarship award for the Spring 2017 semester. Scholarship winners are selected based on their ability to demonstrate, through community service work or university involvement, a commitment to Dr. King’s philosophy of non-violence, equality, justice, cultural diversity, and a respect for humanity.

Breakfast organizers are also asking regional business organizations to consider becoming a sponsor of this community event. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, call the ESU Foundation at 570-422-7000.

For more information about the Celebration Breakfast or for special accommodations, contact Dean of Student Life Cornelia Sewell-Allen at 570-422-3896 or csewell@esu.edu.