Marines, sailors bond during Father Daughter Dance

Twentynine Palms -- Combat Center Marines and sailors spent a night of magic and dancing with the special little ladies in their lives, their daughters. MCCS hosted more than five-hundred Marines, sailors and their daughters at the annual Father Daughter Dance at building 1707 aboard the Combat Center, Feb. 25, 2017.

Marine Corps Community Services hosted the dance to provide active duty fathers with the opportunity to spend an unforgettable night with their daughters.

“An event like this is really important because a lot of the time the majority of the fathers who [attend are those who] deploy often and are not around very much,” said Jill Weber, special events manager, Marine Corps Community Services Marketing.

Each ticket allowed the service member to bring all of his daughters, and also granted them access to an unlimited amount of candy and popcorn from the buffet. A disc jockey provided a wide selection of fun songs, as well as two slow songs, to which the participants danced. A live entertainer sang princess songs with the girls in attendance.

“Events like these show the community that there are other things for Marines to do. We’re all in the field quite a bit so this is a good chance to bond with our daughters,” said Gunnery Sgt. Jason Grotberg, tank mechanic, 1st Tank Battalion.

As the young girls, elaborately dressed for the formal affair, held their father’s hand or hugged his neck as they left the event, they carried with them a memory of their father showing just how much love they have for their little girl.