ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — Following the death of #GirlDad Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, local girl dads and their princesses shined on the floor at the annual Daddy Daughter Dance in Arlington Saturday night.
The dance — put on by Arlington’s parks and recreation department — is the 19th the city has done.
But for Timothy Harrell and his 6-year-old daughter Ashlee, it was their first.
Since transitioning to civilian life from the military, Harrell said he’s now focused on making memories like this one.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “Just you and your daughter.”
Thomas Khoel and his daughters have made a tradition out of the event, and they look forward to doing it every single time.
“We’ve been doing this, this is our 10th or 11th year,” Khoel said.
His daughter Naomi even agrees that the event is a good time.
“It’s like a fun time to be with my dad and dance with him,” she said.
This year’s theme was the land of Oz. Organizers said about 700 daddy-daughter couples signed up for this year’s events which are being held over two days.
In total, about 1,400 dads and daughters participated in the events.