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Dads, daughters dance the night away
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Kent Blacksher (right) and his daughter Delaney were like two peas in a pod during Boardman Township Park’s Dad/Daughter Princess Dance on Feb. 18.
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John Ams (left) spent quality time with his daughter, Cora (right). With two brothers at home, it was a fun excursion for just Cora and her dad.
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After eating dinner, it was time to dance. Tod Burkey (center left) showed off his moves with his daughter Raegan.
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The dance floor really was the place where the daughters decided to let loose.
By SARAH FOOR
Although the guests at the Daddy-Daughter Princess Dance at Boardman Park are too young to attend prom, the girls definitely got a taste of what it might be like on Feb. 18.
With their dads as their “dates,” the 5 to 12-year-old daughters dressed in their fanciest dresses, wore corsages on their wrists, ate dinner and danced the night away.
“I would absolutely call our Daddy-Daughter Dance a practice prom,” said park activity director Karen McCallum. “That’s exactly the feel I was going for. I want the girls to feel special and appreciated by their dads. We all deserve to feel like a princess once or twice in our lives.”
The event, which McCallum first began in 2004, has become such a favorite among area families that she expanded the dance from one night to three. The first night of the festivities, Feb. 18, had the park’s Lariccia Family Community Center decorated with balloons and sparkles and the dining room set for a fancy dinner, with lush table settings and a fruit punch beverage fountain.
After receiving a complimentary picture and creating photo frames for each other, the dads and their favorite girls headed to the dance floor. The DJ played a mix of girl favorites like Taylor Swift, and a few older songs for Dads like the Electric Slide, which had dads teaching their daughters the moves.
Cora Ams attended the event with her dad, John.
“My dad and I hang out a lot — we hike together and we read, too,” shared Cora. “But I have two brothers at home, so I really like that it’s just us tonight.”
“We went together last year, and she begged me to go again,” John Ams said with a smile. “Much like last year, it’s been a really special night.”