On February 8, the Xavier Dads’ Club and Xavier sophomore student council hosted the annual Father-Daughter Dance. The event lasted from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and had tons of unique activities for both fathers and daughters.
In order for all the fun to happen, “I couldn’t have done the planning without Peter Davis and Dick Crowley, who are the Dads’ Club main officers, and Jerry Butts the Dads’ Club liaison,” said Brian Mostoller, chair of the Father-Daughter Dance committee.
The process of planning the dance starts off with Xavier’s sophomore student council picking out the theme. This year, the theme was “Father Daughter Luau.”
Once the Dads’ Club receives the theme, they make the magic happen. The planning process started in August of 2024 in order to make sure every detail was planned.
During the process, the Dads’ Club and the sophomore student council pick activities that are enjoyable for both fathers and daughters. “It all has to do with the decorations, food trucks, vendors, activities, games, music and security,” Mostoller said.
This year, student attendees who paid for a ticket in advance received a Father-Daughter Luau sweatshirt, which increased the amount of tickets sold.
“The cutoff date was January 24 due to the process of making the sweatshirt, but the amount of tickets sold went way up because there was a sweatshirt involved. We sold nearly 500 tickets,” said Mostoller, “and that is largely due to Leslie Eckland and Melissa Pena, sophomore student council moderators, who organized the idea of creating a sweatshirt.”
In accordance to the theme, the sweatshirt was a light ocean-blue color, with an icon of a father-daughter with two pink Hawaiian leis around their necks. Large print on the sleeve said “Father Daughter Dance.”
There were activities such as beach-jewelry making, Wax Hands, blow-up ax throwing, basketball, two photo booths and a DJ for dancing.
The Dads’ Club keeps the tradition of a father-daughter dance alive and special. Originally, the dance was hosted at the Phoenix Art Museum and was a formal event. As time has passed, the shift to hosting the dance on campus has allowed for many different memories to be made.
“My father and I have gone to a father-daughter dance every year since kindergarten and it is a memory we treasure every year. My life has been so much busier since high school, and growing up has led me to hanging out more with friends and not having as much family time. Having this specific event to look forward to every year is crucial to have a specific time to spend the night with my dad and I am so grateful for it every year,” said Grace LeDoux, a senior at Xavier.
The Dads’ Club created family traditions even outside of the dance. “Our tradition is that we get dinner before the dance each year. We love being able to enjoy a fancy meal out together with just the two of us and we catch up,” said Matthew LeDoux, father to Grace.
The Father-Daughter Dance has allowed for many memories. Dancing together on the dance floor and taking full advantage of the photobooths are some to be kept forever, describes Grace LeDoux.
