Camaraderie as fathers fight it out

DON Alley trained decades for this moment: the One-Trip Grocery Bag Relay.

- SOPHIA SOLANO

Standing in a Prince George's County parking lot, he faced the challenge of carrying 15 shopping bags from a Range Rover in a single journey, competing against teams of fellow fathers.

With children ranging from 3 to 21, Alley prides himself on attending every sports practice and excelling at mundane parental tasks like transporting groceries. When a technical error forced teams to repeat their attempts, his teammates questioned whether he could replicate his first performance, which ended with a bloody knee. Undeterred, Alley declared, "I got four kids, and you think I got no energy? I got nothing but energy!"

This spirited competition was part of the inaugural Dad Games, an event series created to celebrate fathers and male role models. In Upper Marlboro, Maryland, 250 participants gathered at a local church to compete for the coveted "Dad of Dads" title through events including the Diaper Change Race and Wiffle Ball Home Run Derby.