MIAMI – If, for some reason, Father’s Day celebration is not as big as Mother’s Day around the world, that doesn’t mean it’s that way everywhere, and at Primary Medical Care Center & Urgent Care Clinic, female and male patients are treated equally with respect and dignity and receive the highest quality of service. That’s why, when it comes to celebrating Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, founder and CEO Princeton Jean-Glaude and his staff do not favor either celebrationwhen it comes to offering a well-organized and memorable event for their guests on these two special occasions.
As he threw a nice celebration for the Mother’s Day this past May for Primary’s female patients, last Friday was no different when the well-known medical institution in South Florida organized a special Father’s Day celebration for its male patients. This was the third annual Father’s Day event since Primary Medical Care Center & Urgent Care Clinic’s luncheon.
It was the usual family affair where the institution celebrated Father’s Day with plenty of tributes to the men who are so important in the existence of the clinic.
The weather was perfect for the celebration. As always, the parking spaces of the building were converted into a nice party area to hold the gathering. Under a well-decorated big top tent, from 12 noon to 2:30 pm., an estimated 200 guests enjoyed a good time with music, comedy, food and drink.
Dr. Flore LindorLatortue served as Mistress of Ceremony. As a familiar figure of the clinic, she is well appreciated by guests for her contagious sense of good humor.
Pastor Joanem ‘Frandy’ Floreal (better known as Pastor Fanfan in the Haitian Community) conducted the invocation and paid tribute to the fathers in attendance. The Senior Pastor of Shalom Community Church (North Miami) also took time to thank those staff members at the clinic who helped to make the clinic and these events so valuable and important to the community.
“Being a father is a great privilege and responsibility,” said Pastor Fanfan “Statistics show that children thrive when they have involved fathers. As a good father you must savor the feeling of being appreciated, you must be proud of yourself.” He added that he believes every child needs a dad they can count on.
This event’s guest speaker was licensed dietitian Marie Ange Etienne LD, RD. Based in Riviera Beach (Florida), she is experienced at identifying nutritional problems and assessing the status of patients in a clinical setting. She’s also an expert in developing diet plans and counseling patients on special diet modifications.
As her aim is to promote good health and prevent disease in individuals and communities, Ms. Etienne addressed the guests by advising them on some practical choices about their food and nutrition.
While guests enjoyed a healthy lunch, the guest speaker shared some nutritional tips with them all. “It is important to eat healthy,” she said. “Unhealthy food is indeed often more accessible and cheaper than healthy alternatives. Unfortunately, it’s these very foods that make people unhealthy and overweight, causing all sorts of incredible and expensive medical problems later on.”
Ms. Etienne concluded by saying, “Healthy eating on a small budget is possible, it just takes a game plan and a little creativity. You develop the idea that a ‘good deal’ means a lot of food for a little money. In other words, you tend to associate a deal by looking at the price per calorie. You need to reshape the way you evaluate ‘good deals.’ Although fruits and vegetables are an expensive source of dietary energy (calories), they provide key nutrients at a reasonable cost. You can cook your own healthy food at home instead of buying some foods at cheap prices at stores but which are not good for your health.”
As founder and CEO of the clinic, it is always with great pride when Princeton Jean-Glaude addresses his guests. As a father of two beautiful girls, Princeton understands what it means to be good dad. He talked about the everyday investments he’s made in his daughters’ lives – up to that point finding enough time in his busy schedule as an entrepreneur to spend a little one-on-one time with them. Clearly, those investments are making a difference. Princeton is connecting with his daughters to influence them in positive ways so they will be able to succeed as he has in their adult lives.
“I know Haitian fathers are typically responsible, hardworking and strong,” Mr. Jean-Claude said. “There’s no inch of laziness in them. They are good husbands, too. All the hard-working dads out there must be thankful for their children and proud of the role they get to play in their lives.”
The CEO took the opportunity to honor established patients, those who are in compliance with their regular visits at the clinic. They are: Toussaint Jean, Zamor Jean, Jean Marie Paul, FamousMiguelito, Jean St. Paul, and Avenant Moreau. All of them received many gifts and door prizes, including shirts, FIFA soccer T-shirts, and items from Macy’s as expression of appreciation from the CEO.
In addition, Mr. Jean-Glaude called to the podium two men (Fenol Charles and OltesSamedy) whom, he said, helped a lot during his first months in the United States, one of them being his uncle.
Comedian Charles Antoine Etienne then performed a comedy routine and the crowd couldn’t stop laughing. Etienne really spiced up the celebration with some funny, tasteful jokes. Radio Host ‘Ti Sony’ made a surprise appearance to address the crowd. With a wonderful sense of humor himself, he found a way to joke with the crowd and make them laugh, too. As the main promoter of a Father’s Day Concert to be held two days later (Sunday, June 17), he was generous to distribute complimentary tickets to all members of the audience who wished to attend the event.
The guests were then entertained by well-known Haitian singer Jules Similien (alias Toto Necessite.) Similien performed two full enthusiastic sets that were well received by the audience. Followed was maestro Jean René Charles who got the crowd joining him to sing three of his most popular gospel songs. Toto Necessite returned to close with his mega hit ‘TiPouchon,’ which was released in 1988.
This event sponsored by some health companies, including HUMANA, was a wonderful opportunity for community members to meet some of the medical professionals and other staff members who make Primary Medical Center one of the best facilities in the region.
Mr. Jean-Glaude and his wife, as well many of the staff members worked together to make this event a positive one for the attendees, particularly the fathers.
At the end, while thanking all the guests for attending, the President of Primary Care Center reminded everyone of the clinic’s mission and its vision for the future, which is to “improve our patients’ quality of life by dedicating all its resources to the maximum for the benefit of all of its members.”
“PMC is a place where people can come and feel like family. Our reward is when we see the gratitude on the faces of the patients we are serving,” concluded Princeton Jean-Glaude.
In our society, an emphasis of the importance of father’s in the lives of children is being diminished by Hollywood, politics, and the pursuit of personal pleasure and gain. However, fathers remain an integral part of a strong foundation for children and events like this highlight that simple fact.
Primary Medical Center truly is dedicated to supporting the community and with events like this, the little things make a world of difference. A big thank you to PMCC for helping us recognize the true value fathers should have in our lives.
DF/Le Floridien
