About Us
An Idea Became a Vision…
John Pyle, founder of Dads for Boys, spent most of his life chasing money in the fast lane, having little time for family relationships. His marriages ended in divorce. A picture of success on the outside, he felt empty inside. In 1985, he took an airplane flight that changed his life. He sat next to Harold Bredesen who saw through the pretence and challenged John to deal with his relationship with God and his life in general.
As John got his schedule under control, he began spending quality time with his children. On weekends with his youngest son, he realized that most of Jay’s friends were from single-mom homes, craving for positive male attention and direction. A vision began stirring within him of recruiting men to become positive male role models in the lives of these boys. Men who would take the boys camping, boating and fishing. They would provide leadership, spiritual guidance and friendship.
In 1989, Dads for Boys purchased 240 acres of wilderness preserve with a mile of lakefront on the North shore of Lake Yale in Umatilla, Florida, NW of Orlando. This is a perfect wildlife atmosphere for hiking, fishing, boating, camping and other activities.
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