The Colonnade will welcome daughters dressed like princesses and their fathers as the North Georgia Family Branch YMCA brings the Father-Daughter Dance back to Ringgold Feb. 10.
“Daughters look up to their dads,” said North Georgia Family Branch YMCA Executive Director John Donahoo, who lives in Ringgold. “Dads may not always be around the house, so it’s a chance to see him.”
Ringgold’s Steve Heard takes his daughter Riley to the YMCA’s Father-Daughter Dance last year. This year’s event is scheduled for Feb. 10.Fellow Ringgold resident Steve Heard, who took his daughter Riley, now 7, to the dance in 2010, said last year’s event was “really amazing.” He was one of 35 father-daughter teams that attended.
“I saw a lot of smiling faces and people enjoying themselves at the event in 2010,” said Donahoo. “I saw dads connecting with their daughters. For some it was their first father-daughter dance.”
The 2012 event begins with photos at 5 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6, and Sound Force Entertainment will provide music for the evening until the final dance at 10 p.m.
“Don’t let the opportunity go by – you only have this time with your daughters at this age now,” said Heard, encouraging other fathers to take their daughters to the dance. “They’re only young once. Make it a special event for them.”
Donahoo said supporting the event can create a sense of community and pride in Catoosa County. He said it can also lead to more similar local events, so families don’t have to drive to Chattanooga.
“We are trying to create a father-daughter program in North Georgia,” he said. “It is a way for dads and daughters to carve out time together.”