Area couples take advantage of FAMCO Date Night

Couples enjoyed a catered dinner and streaming webcast Friday at the Family and Marriage Coalition's Date Night. Staff photo by Suzanne Stone.

The Family and Marriage Coalition of Aiken Inc. set the stage for romance Friday night with a special Date Night event for married couples on the occasion of National Marriage Week USA.

FAMCO provided a special dinner catered by chef Charles Foster of Southern Delights and a special webcast by Focus on the Family on "The Date Night Challenge." Some 50 couples attended the dinner, according to FAMCO executive director Roger Rollins.

"This event is celebrating marriage, specifically through the Date Night challenge, which encourages married couples to have regular date nights to get to know each other and to enjoy being with each other," Rollins said. "The emphasis is on encouraging couples to spend time together, thereby strengthening their marriages."

The webcast featured testimonials by comedian Jeff Allen, musician Michael O'Brien and Focus on the Family executive director of marriage Dr. Greg Smalley and Erin Smalley, along with the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez. Focus on the Family sponsors a national Date Night movement to strengthen marriages; the challenge calls for married couples to go on three dates together in three weeks.

"I wanted to take my wife on a date and see what this program is like; we've never been to one of these," said Powell Mock, who was there with his date for the evening, Margaret Mock, his wife of eight years.

National Marriage Week USA takes place Feb. 7 to Feb. 14 each year.

FAMCO can be reached for more information on the Date Night Challenge at 640-4689, online at www.aikenfamco.com or by email at rogerrollins@aikenfamco.com.

Suzanne Stone is a general assignment reporter at the Aiken Standard. Contact Suzanne Stone at sstone@aikenstandard.com, or follow on Twitter at #SuzanneRStone and on Facebook at Suzanne Stone | Aiken Standard.