Hundreds of fathers attend 10th annual North Carolina Fatherhood Conference

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Hundreds of fathers and father figures gathered in Raleigh Saturday for the 10th annual NC Fatherhood conference.

Weekend morning anchor Anthony Wilson served as master of ceremonies for this year's conference inside the Wake Chapel Family Life Center.

Organizers selected a father of the year and presented nearly 20 workshops to help fathers and their families work toward a brighter future. Topics included what it means to be a man, the importance of a father's physical health to his children, and mindfully moving from chaos to calm.

The dual observances of Father's Day and Juneteenth played a big role for the men who attended, as well.

"We really see fathers as the head of the family and the head of the community. So we always say that Juneteenth and fatherhood are synonymous with one another because you can't talk about Juneteenth and the black family without talking about those who were separated from their families all those years, now given the opportunity to be united with their families," Derrick Byrd with NC Fatherhood Conference said.

The fatherhood conference is the fourth largest in the nation.