We gave local residents a chance to create a video Fathers Day card. Hear what they had to say to their dads.

Manuel Loupassi owned and ran the popular Robin Inn restaurant in Richmond’s Fan District for 32 years. And after the restaurant closed each night, he mopped the floor himself. In 1993, when his son, Manoli, needed a job between his judicial clerkship and his job as a prosecutor for the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, “Papa Loup” gave him one—as a dishwasher.

CELEBRATING FATHERHOOD From his perch just beyond the top row of the Siegel Center at Virginia Commonwealth University, Michael J. Jones could keep one eye on each of his children. On the court below, daughter Jocelyn, 10, was running through drills in basketball camp. A few feet away on the concourse, son Jalon, 8, was playing. “There’s no place I’d rather be than right here, with my kids,“ Jones said.

Jonathan Axselle puts in too many hours at work with his father to hang out with his friends very much. “I’ve always enjoyed working,“ he said. “It’s kept me out of trouble.“ He works for his dad, David Axselle, at Axselle Auto Service in the Lakeside area of Henrico County near Bryan Park. The full-service shop was started by David’s late father, Ed, in 1951.

As far as Al Lacy knew, he had no skills in dealing with children because he’d never had any, so he wasn’t keen on the idea of tutoring at Woodville Elementary School. But his wife, Beverley, was persistent. The Micah Initiative needed volunteers, and he had time because he was semiretired. He finally agreed to help with a summer session at the Richmond school, but nothing more.

Give dad the gift of health Hey Dad, Dude, Papa, Pop, Gramps, Bro, Baby, Honey, Boo Boo, Big Daddy, Cuz, Champ. Whatever the women and children in your life call you, they probably have suggested from time to time that you skip that second doughnut, wear your seat belt, stop smoking and drinking, go for a walk or go see a doctor after you’ve spent days complaining of pain you’ve been self-treating.

As soon as Brock Kelley’s birdie putt nestled into the cup on the first extra hole, Kelley’s father, Tim, turned to a bystander and said: “This is a Father’s Day dream. My present is anything inside 20 feet is good.“ By the time all the carts made it back to the scoreboard at Richmond Country Club, the good distance was up to 25 feet, then “If I hit a green, it’s good.“

Dear Dad, Today we thank you for all the different ways you show your love by sharing stories about six special men. When Chuck Irving divorced, he faced an uncertain future, but he knew this about his children: “I wanted them to enjoy life, and I wanted to be a part of it. They deserved a childhood.“

Before celebrating Father’s Day, consider this sobering statistic: Out-of-wedlock births have risen steadily since the early 1960s, from less than 20 percent to more than 60 percent in the city of Richmond. The city’s rate was 62.4 percent in 2006, compared with 37.1 percent for the region and 34.1 percent for the state. “We’re going to have a city that’s fatherless, and we’re going to have a city filled with fathers who are in pain,“ said Dr. Donald Stern, director of the Richmond City Health District.

Late Sunday afternoon, on the field at Maybeury Elementary School in Henrico County, a man went through one of the rituals of fa therhood. He stood behind his son, who was seated on a bicycle. The father gave the bike a push, and his son began pedaling. The little boy rode for about 20 yards, then felt it imperative to stop. Instead of hitting the brakes, he took his feet off the pedals and used his shoes to bring the bike to a running halt.

If you haven’t made a reservation for Father’s Day yet, you might be out of luck at some places. Mom isn’t the only one who deserves a meal out on her special day, you know.  Some options:  Write a short toast to your dad at http://www.carrabbas.com, and Carrabba’s, the Italian chain restaurant (11450 Midlothian Turnpike), will give you a coupon for a free appetizer. Entrants will also compete to win a case of Coppola wine and a trip to Napa Valley with their father.