Three of the participants in the 2024 Father-Daughter Dance, sponsored by St. Paul's UMC pose for a photo. Photos by Happy Mermaid.

"To see the smile on the faces of the girls and watch the pride that shines through each guy that brings their daughter, niece, granddaughter, or neighbor brings joy." These are the words of Carlla Maki, a St. Paul's United Methodist Church member in Jamestown, North Dakota, who serves on the Coordinating Committee for the Father-Daughter Dance.

Since 2011, Maki, along with five other women in the congregation, have coordinated the father-daughter dance. The annual springtime event attracts about 300 participants and 200 community spectators. In 2019, before the pandemic, there were 456 participants and 400 spectators.

It started as a fundraiser for Relay for Life. Mayda Mueller, a St. Paul's UMC member, was looking for a way to raise funds for teams participating in the American Cancer Society's fundraising campaign.

"It was pretty big here in town. Mayda Mueller, a member of our church, who was in charge of putting the Relay for Life together, was looking for a fundraiser," Carlla explains. "She always wanted to do a father-daughter dance. Another lady from a different church encouraged her. She said, 'If you put the father-daughter dance together, I'll donate free corsages.' She got with a couple of other girls from our church, and they put one together downtown at the KC [Knights of Columbus] Hall. There were about 50 couples that were there at the first father-daughter dance."

Each year, the dance grew bigger, causing a change of venue to accommodate the number of participants and spectators.

"It just got bigger and bigger every year. It got to the point where we went from the KC Hall and then to the Quality Inn. They had a big reception area and rooms for dances and weddings. We rented all three of the rooms," said Carlla. "We got too big for the Quality Inn. There were 310 participants and about 200 spectators. I looked in Jamestown for a place that would hold 500 to 600 people. We rented the commons area and theater in the high school. The first year at Jamestown High School, we had 273 participants and 200 spectators."

One of the highlights of the dance is selecting a corsage that matches your outfit. Outfits range from themes like favorite football team jerseys, jeans and matching shirts, to tuxes and fancy dresses. Each participant registers on a card. They have their photo taken by a professional photographer. Then, they get in line to be part of the grand march.

"It's just a really neat event," said Rev. Jennifer McDonald, who serves St. Paul's UMC. "What strikes me the most about it is a comment made by one of the committee members. She said, 'You know, a lot of these kids don't get opportunities for something special like this.' This night out for these girls with their dad can be something they wait for all year. It provides an opportunity for a lot of families that experience life as kind of a grind—kids go to school, and parents go to work. They cannot travel, go to fancy places, or do a lot of special things. They can do this right here in Jamestown. They get a chance to make their daughters feel special, loved, and cherished."

Volunteers from St. Paul's UMC gather for a photo at the Father-Daughter Dance.

The grand march happens in the theater. Pastor Jennifer begins the march with a prayer. The master of ceremony for the night announces each couple as they stop forward for the spectators.

Couples proceed from the theater to the commons area, where the dance begins. Spectators, who pay one dollar to view the grand march, are invited to watch the first dance and then leave.

"This is a special night for the girls. They come with their dad, uncle, grandfather, or neighbor. We want this to be a time they will remember. One year, an 80-year-old dad brought his two 60-year-old daughters. This year, a dad brought his daughter who was 11 days old," Carlla said.

2020  and 2021, during the pandemic, the dance did not happen. It started again at the high school in 2022. That year, there were 384 participants and about 390 spectators.

Everyone on the coordinating committee has a specific role. The six members, Linda Brown, Lisa Hoffer, Carlla Maki, Marci Opsahl, Jennifer Sundeen, and Judy Sundeen, begin putting things together in January.

"In January, I meet with the Jamestown High School Activities Director. We look for a Saturday in April that is open for us to use the high school," said Carlla. "Once we come up with the date, we meet to decide what we're doing from there. Everyone takes on their role and gets things done. We do most of our work by texting and e-mail.

One person on the team works with advertising. A flier is prepared and distributed around town. Social media and word of mouth are great marketing tools.

Two people decorate the stage and tables in the commons area at the high school, and another oversees ticket sales.

One person, Judy Sundeen, decorates cookies and prepares the refreshments. "Judy is a baker. Her cookies are beautiful. We had a water theme this year, so she made mermaid cookies. Last year, it was butterflies," shares Carlla. "We all get the helpers or volunteers we need to get things done. Everyone in the congregation gets involved."

Someone manages the tickets and registration. Tickets are $25 in advance or $40 at the door. The tickets are per couple, and extra girls are $5 each because a father, grandfather, or uncle may bring more than one girl from the family.

Jennifer Sundeen is the DJ and supplies the music for the dance. "I started helping my mother-in-law with cupcakes. Then we started making cookies. Before long, I was helping with the music," said Jennifer. "A couple of years ago, we really did not like the music from the DJ. I gave it a try last year and did it again this year. On my laptop, I create playlists from iTunes or Amazon. I let the girls make requests throughout the dance. I upload their requests into the playlist. The typical requests are party dances like the Macarena, the YMCA, the Cha Cha Slide, and the Cupid Shuffle."

Jennifer's connection with dance is more profound than the cookies and music. Proceeds from the event are given to The Cure Starts Now: Karing for Keaton. The chapter of The Cure Starts Now was formed in honor and loving memory of Jennifer's son, Keaton Sundeen. Keaton was diagnosed with DIPG on May 6, 2022. After a short 44-day battle, Keaton went home to heaven on June 13, 2022, the day after his ninth birthday.

"The Cure Starts Now is focused on finding cures for DIPG, the cancer that Keaton faced," said Jennifer. "All funds go to research to find a cure for DIPG. Researchers believe that if they can stop DIPG, the cure for other cancers will follow. People in Jamestown have been so supportive."

This year's dance raised $3,795 for The Cure Starts Now. "Jennifer and her husband Dan lost their son to cancer, so their hearts are really in The Cure Starts Now. The people in the church sponsor this event to raise funds for a good cause, connect with the community, and make girls feel special. We all need reasons to feel good about ourselves and share the love of Jesus, and this event does just that," said Pastor Jennifer.