The annual Daddy Daughter Dance returned on March 8, courtesy of the Union County Recreation Department.
Now in its 25th year, the event was made extra special with a theme of “A Night in Paris,” complete with delicate props for photo ops, dinner, a dance floor with professional DJ and, of course, limo rides.
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Originally started up by Larry Garrett and Brad Ballard, the event has seen a change in venue as attendance skyrocketed over the years. Tickets must be purchased before the big day, which can be thought of like a prom.
Upon arrival, the lavishly decorated Union County Sports Center welcomes the impeccably dressed guests with painted greetings and a bubble machine – which some of the girls enjoyed playing in. Then it’s off to one of the three gyms, depending on which activity the guests feel more inclined toward.
Casey Killian traveled with daughter Demi from Murphy, North Carolina, to attend the dance, which they’ve been doing for three years now. They even have a schedule worked out – get their photos taken, then get dinner before heading to the dancefloor.
Nine-year-old Demi spends months getting ready for the night and chooses her dress and dad’s matching tie. They agree that dancing is their favorite part.
“We’ll be coming until she’s about 60,” said Killian, with Demi adding, “I really like this place.”
Meanwhile, Harold and Nora Collins enjoyed a ride around town in style with their first experience in a limousine.
“It was great,” Commissioner Collins admitted, with Nora agreeing that she enjoyed it. Collins has attended past dances with his other daughters, and he plans to return next year with Nora, who was on board with the idea.
“I think (the Rec Department’s) doing a great job,” Collins added.
Ahead of time, each daddy-daughter pairing is scheduled to ride in one of two limousines like the Collins duo. Called by name, they take turns throughout the night going for rides around the Blairsville Square before returning to pick up right where they left off.
In all, 470 dance tickets were sold this year, and considering that some dads bring more than one daughter, even more people filed into the Sports Center that night. Interestingly, there’s no real age limit on who can attend, but most estimates fall between the girls being 3 and 14.
“As far as I know, this is the largest one we’ve had,” remarked organizer Sandy Godfrey, one of the primary planners alongside Stephanie Holgate and Dustin Rogers. “I went to a Daddy Daughter Dance while I was growing up, and I think it’s really neat that they still offer it.”
Organizers wanted to make a special shout out in thanks to Lucky Dog Restaurant Group for the catering, Melissa’s Custom Cakes for the dessert bar, Jim Wood for lending his musical talents to the DJ booth, Jenni Dixon for her photography, Georgia Limousine for the rides, and the Rec Department employees who help the dance come together every year.
