Story and Photos by Tim Boxer

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LL six men, who received Father of the Year Awards from the National Father’s Day Council in June at the New York Sheraton, agreed that the most important thing you can do is marry well.

"If you have the right partner who’s a great mom, it makes dad look pretty good," said Randall Stephenson, chairman and CEO of AT&T.

"I agree," said Brendan Hoffman. "And also wear clean underwear." That’s not surprising coming from the president and CEO of Lord & Taylor.

Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone, shot back: "I’m glad that clean underwear isn’t just a black thing."

Canada added, ""I try to be the kind of father I wished my father was—work hard, be respectful, honor your elders, take care of your mother."

Jim Boeheim, head coach of Syracuse University men’s basketball team, confessed: "What my wife has done with our kids is why I’m here." Moreover, he said, when his kids heard he was up for this award, they were 2 on 2 whether he deserved it.

"I’m not married yet," said Amar’e Stoudemire, the New York Knicks captain, who has three children, "but I agree you have to have a great partner to raise your children. My father instilled in me to be a man and take care of your family"

Mark Shriver, senior vice president of Save the Children’s U.S. programs, presented the Father of the Year Awards to the group. As Stoudemire, who towers over Shriver at 6-foot-10, accepted his award he said, "There you go, shorty."

Robert Evans, of Simpsonville, Kentucky, received the All-Star Dad Award.

After Evans lost his first daughter Hanna to cancer in 2005, he dived into charitable endeavors in her memory. He started Hanna’s Day of Hope, a foundation that sends computers to the cancer wing of Kosair Children’s Hospital. This year he and his wife Jennifer raised one million dollars to found the Hanna Catherine Evans Bone Marrow Transplant Program. He still finds time to be a devoted dad to Sarah, Grace and Davis.

Stuart Goldblatt is president of the National Father's Day/Mother's Day Council and chairman of the National Father's Day Committee. In another life he is executive vice president of Macy's Merchandising Group.

He praised Joe Rivers, who is retiring as executive director of the National Father's Day Committee, and gifted him with the requisite watch.

Now that Joe’s retired, why would he need a watch? It would make more sense to give him a watch when he first came on the job 16 years ago.