Around Alpharetta/Milton/Windward
When a man holds his child for the first time, looks into those beautiful newborn eyes, and feels the tiny little fingers wrapped around his one, his heart melts and he’s forever a dad. Each year at Father’s Day, Around Town Magazines honors a special dad selected from nomination letters sent into the magazine. This year, Around Town Alpharetta/Milton/Windward’s honored dad is Mark Piazza, who was nominated by his daughter, 9 year-old Gina. "My dad is very special because he plays sports with me, we love to play basketball and tennis," Gina said. The two spend hours and hours hitting and shooting balls either into a basket rim or over a net. Mark said, "Yes, we enjoy this time together, and now that Gina is getting older, it is easier and more enjoyable to get to do things she loves as much as I do." When asked what it felt like when he found out he was going to have a little baby, "It was a surprise to find out. It was exciting. Gina added a whole new element to my wife, Cindy’s, and my lives. And the older Gina gets the more we can communicate and do things together." Vacation for the Piazza family is packed full of cousins and the beach. "We get to go to the beach every year to spend a week with my cousins," Gina said. "It is great fun and I am the youngest except for my brother Luke." Mark adds that his wife’s family is fairly large so there are several aunts and uncles and cousins that Gina and Luke play with each summer. In addition, the family is planning on taking time to visit Washington, DC where Mark’s work takes him. "I am there quite a bit, but haven’t seen all the sights and hope to take the family with me and visit some of the monuments, and other significant sights in DC," he said. Mark realizes the challenges in raising children and said, "It is important to be involved in our children’s lives, especially with all outside influences, to just have an awareness of what is important to them and not get so tied up in the day to day busyness." Dads are special people. Lucky for me, my dad, Mark Piazza, is the best in the world. My dad makes me feel special in many ways. He will take time off from important events in his life to make mine more special. He also works hard to support my family and me. My dad loves me very much. My dad’s caring personality is one of the best things about him. It makes him better than any other dad. He cares about me and encourages me. This brings me to the most important lesson he’s taught me. He tells me to follow my dreams. It doesn’t matter what other people think because you’ll always be surrounded by the people who love you. I think my dad deserves to be the father of the year. — Gina Piazza, age 9