SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — More than 200 military men took their daughters on a date Friday night.
The 14th annual Armed Services YMCA Father and Daughter Dance helps build bonds between active duty dads and little girls.
“It’s amazing because we got to dance out there,” said 7-year-old Brianna Hutchinson, 7-years-old.
These moments are precious for fathers like U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman Brian Hutchinson who had two dates.
“Having a day for daddy, daughter where we dress up, dance and eat, it's fun. I love it,” said PO3 Hutchinson.
The special night is hosted by the San Diego Armed Services YMCA, a non-profit that provides support to active duty military families.
“The intention is for dads to maybe let down a barrier and really bond with their daughters and have that great experience,” said Tim Ney, Executive Director for San Diego Armed Services of YMCA.
For many military dad’s they are deployed or training and miss out on magical moments.
“Time is our lost commodity so being able to do this is extremely important because we are always gone,” PO3 Alex Tapanya, U.S. Navy.
Fathers looked dapper and daughters felt like a princess. The night was filled with face paint, Disney characters, and a touch of sweetness from the candy bar.
“We like to cherish the moment and we take lots of pictures and videos together it's really fun,” said 11-year-old Catalina Tapanya.
Both of her parents are in the military.
“He is always making me laugh, he is one of the sweetest people ever,” said Catalina.
Her father and so many others are proud military dads, a girl dad, creating memories that will always be cherished.
“Life is not measured by the amount of breaths you take but it's about the moments that take your breath away, these are those moments,” said PO3 Tapanya.
The ASY San Diego supports over 170,000 San Diego based active-duty military service members and their families with over 40 no-cost or low-cost programs, services, and special events.