MIAMI GARDENS – The tribal community from the Hollywood Reservation and Broward County came together June 15 to celebrate Father’s Day at TopGolf in Miami Gardens. After more than a year of celebrating events at a distance, the atmosphere was vibrant as families gathered to honor the dads of the tribal community.

The past year posed challenges of many kinds, but it also allowed for the Seminole Tribe to come up with some interesting ways of celebrating special occasions. Throughout the pandemic, the community hosted many events that families celebrated from the comfort of their cars in drive-thrus and drive-ins.

Though the past year of restrictions could not entirely stop the community from coming together to celebrate, as those restrictions lift, families are welcoming the return of somewhat “normal” in-person events, such as the golf outing.

“It’s good to be with everybody again because you get to hang out more with your friends and family,” said Darrell Tiger, 13, who attended the event with his family.

The Covid-safe event featured a private section for Seminole community members to hit golf balls and enjoy food. Each family sat at their own tables with plastic dividers in between each table. Buffet-style food was served by TopGolf employees to ensure that the event was as safe as possible.

For a community in which gathering together is so deeply engrained in the culture, it was certainly welcomed to be able to return to those practices. Kenneth Tommie, who attended the event with his children and grandchildren, was pleased with the the return of in-person gatherings.

“It’s great that everybody can come together and have a great time,” he said. “It’s about just getting together…Now we can actually get together and enjoy each other and friends and family.”