CJ'ers Celebrate Father's Day 2020

Yesterday was Father's Day! We asked CJ employees from across our global offices to share their favorite memories with their dads and give a peek into their experience of fatherhood. The result? Photos and moments that are sweet, quirky, and real. Here's to celebrating fathers in all their goofy dad joke glory.

Grace Saccoccio, Client Support Specialist, Westborough, MA

What's your favorite memory with your dad? Learning to cook! Every year we make struffoli at Christmas; a traditional Italian dessert of fried dough balls in lemon honey. Once, for a Sunday lasagna, we drove to 3 different grocery stores for the right noodles. He also gave me an appreciation for music (especially the Beatles) and classic cars.

Give us your best dad joke! "Dad, how do I look?" "With your eyes!"

How are you celebrating your dad this year? We had a socially distanced picnic in his backyard!

Ashley Adams, Client Partnerships Manager, New York, NY

What's your favorite memory with your dad? My dad was in the Air Force, & for most of his career in a leadership role, meaning he traveled a lot and missed a lot, like birthdays, first days of school, and Christmases. But when he was home, he'd take my brother and I for donuts on Friday mornings before school. We'd blast Van Halen, crush our sprinkled treats, then show up to school ALL THE WAY energized—partially on sugar and classic rock, but mostly just on happiness.

Harsha Chittar, Client Services Manager, Bengaluru, India

What do you love about being a father? I love that I get to relive the days of my childhood playing with my daughter, Mira. I like that I can get lost in her world of imagination away from the daily struggles. There are lot of emotions attached to being a father, but happiness trumps them all. I love that I can come home after a bad day and in one minute she makes me feel like the luckiest.

Give us your best dad joke! When does a joke become a dad joke? When it becomes apparent!

What's it like to parent during quarantine? Any funny or interesting moments? My daughter is supposed to start school this year in June, and we spent the first 3 months of the year getting her excited about her new school and new friends. Now with COVID and no school, she thinks we just played a big prank on her. The other day we told her we would get her ice cream, she looked at us and said, "I will believe you when I get to eat it".

Heather Pilat, VP Finance, Westborough, MA

What's your favorite memory with your dad? My favorite memory is getting to spend the summers with my dad. He lived in the boonies and was a bit eccentric. But I loved that about him. We'd spend our days going to the beach, or navy auctions (once we bought a mess tent—I have no idea why), or just hang around the house. He loved putting together concoctions in the kitchen—my favorite was OJ mixed with grape juice! I remember coming in the house one day having skinned my knee. His reaction? Classic dad: "How do you think the street feels?"

He passed away a while ago from early onset Alzheimer's and I miss him so much, but I cherish those wonderful childhood memories.

Give us your best dad joke! What kind of jokes can you tell during the coronavirus pandemic? Inside ones.

George Yuhba, Network Development Director, Chicago, IL

What's your favorite memory with your dad? When I was eight and nine years old, I would go to my dad's work with him in the summer a couple days a week where he tried to make the family business fun and have me learn. And although I didn't go into my family business, those summers with him (and our early morning McDonalds run on the way there) is something I will always remember and cherish.

Give us your best dad joke! Two men walk into a bar...you'd think at least one of them would have seen it!

How are you celebrating your dad this year? I'm 1,700 miles away so I did a Zoom dinner with my family and catered the dinner with the restaurant of my dad's choice!

Erika Najera, Client Partnerships Manager, Los Angeles CA

What's your favorite memory with your dad? My master's graduation. From this day on, you probably won't catch my dad without USC gear on. As my biggest supporter, achievements are never left in the moment. My dad carries them every day, reminding my siblings and I that we can work through anything we set our minds to and how proud he is to see us becoming the people we knew we could be.

How are you celebrating your dad this year? Surely either helping him finish up his latest tree house project or watching national geographic together.

Ben Kopetti, VP, Corporate Development, Portland, OR

What do you love about being a father? I love watching my boys develop their own uniqueness. Traits that are mine and others that are my wife's, but, put together are somehow unique to these funny, sweet, little dudes.

What's it like to parent during quarantine? Any funny or interesting moments? It's hard, but so very rewarding. I love coaching and teaching, so having the opportunity to help them learn while also getting so much more time with them has been a (mostly) rewarding challenge.

How are you celebrating your dad this year? At home, reading the entire NYT, playing wiffle ball with my boys, grilling, and cheers-ing my wife, who makes being a dad even more worthwhile.

Shreya Balaji, Client Services Analyst, Bengaluru, India

What's your favorite memory with your dad? My dad has always been my best friend growing up. While I was doing my graduate studies overseas, across the entire time I was at University, without fail, my dad would give me a call at least once every 3-4 days. After one point, I started looking forward to those regular check ins during which we'd update each other on everything happening under the sky, important decisions, gossip—all of it. Anytime it went over four days without talking to him, I would get paranoid and call him.

How are you celebrating your dad this year? My Dad's a huge foodie and this Father's Day, I cooked him a nice evening snack, ordered in some ice cream and one of the action-adventure films he loves. I am definitely glad I got to be with him for the day this year.

Liane Soto, Client Partnerships Associate, Chicago IL

What's your favorite memory with your dad? I went to the same university where my parents teach. When I graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, I also won the "Best Student in Marketing Award". A professor from the corresponding concentration would escort the winning students on stage and hand them their prize before taking a picture with the University Chancellor. For me, that professor was my dad. It's a moment I won't ever forget. He was so proud, and this made the moment even more special.

How are you celebrating your dad this year? My dad has an old gas grill that hadn't worked properly for the longest time. Mom and heard he wanted to attempt to convert it into a charcoal grill. Without his knowing, we went and got him a brand-new charcoal grill which we think he will love. Can't wait to see his reaction but one thing is for sure, we'll be eating a lot of BBQ soon enough.

Corinne Travis, Account Director, Influencer and Brand Partnerships, Westborough, MA

What's your favorite memory with your dad? On my wedding day our limo company got lost and was running an hour behind schedule (!!). This put us without rides to the site where my husband and I were going to do our first look. Our photographers ended up driving my husband and my dad drove me. In the end it worked out perfectly and I'm glad the silly limo company got lost. Driving to and from the location with my dad and having him on site with us and the photographers was really special and something I will never forget.

How are you celebrating your dad this year? We did it remotely via video chat this year :( He lives in New Jersey.

Shelby Henderson, Client Partnerships Manager, Chicago IL

What's your favorite memory with your dad? Traveling together on our father-daughter trips. Our most recent was a trip to South Africa where we went in a shark cage and saw great whites! Definitely a top moment in my life.

Give us your best dad joke! What kind of hair do they sell at IHOP? Eggstentions.

How are you celebrating your dad this year? A nice card and a hangout via FaceTime.

Tucker Gitlin, Client Partnerships Manager, Chicago, IL

What's your favorite memory with your dad? There are too many to count, but my favorite memory has to be the scuba diving trip that my four brothers and I took with our dad to the Galapagos Islands back in 2016.

Give us your best dad joke! Why did the scarecrow win the competition? Because he was outstanding in his field!

How are you celebrating your dad this year? I celebrated in person with my stepdad on Father's Day and will see my dad pretty soon for the Independence Day holiday.