Impact - Suwannee County Chamber of Commerce 2021-2022 | Page 108

CHAMBER GALA

Father Daughter Dance

The Annual Father-Daughter Dance presented by the Suwannee County Chamber of Commerce has become one of Suwannee ’ s most anticipated events for the community ’ s little girls and their fathers . This fun-filled and unique event was created for fathers and daughters to bond , connect , and create fun , exciting memories with each other . This year ’ s dance was uniquely special because it was one of the first in-person events to be held in Suwannee County since the pandemic hit .
This year ’ s Father-Daughter dance was held on the Saturday before Father ’ s Day . With a prom-like atmosphere , beautiful decorations covered the ceilings and the walls thanks to Celebrations of Live Oak . Fathers and daughters were able to enjoy a dinner of pizza and chicken , thanks to Zaxbys of Live Oak and Little Caesars . Following dinner , they were also able to indulge in a full dessert and candy bar , complete with a chocolate fountain and popcorn machine . Father-daughter duos had the opportunity to take silly photos together at an iPhoto booth and pose for professional portraits by photographer , Rob Wolfe . They danced the night away with the help of DJ , Jake Long .
At previous events , dance contests were proven to be a big hit among girls and their fathers , alike ! Those contests were back again this year ! The first round of dance competitions were for father-daughter couples to show off their moves . This competition was divided into age groups , based on the daughters ’ ages – 0-6 , 7-12 , and 13 and up . The winners of each group received a nice trophy to take home and keep as a wonderful memory of their night .
The second dance competition of the night is always a fun one ! Fathers competed against other fathers to be crowned the “ Daddy dance-off ” champion .
Because of the pandemic , the Chamber ’ s fifth year of holding the event was faced with a lower attendance than in previous years . But what does not go unnoticed is the community ’ s excitement about being able to attend an event again , for the first time in over a year . Many young girls and their fathers were looking forward to this event in 2020 , when it wasn ’ t able to safely take place . To be able to have the opportunity for that bonding experience again this year was very exciting for the whole county .
Suttyn Bispham , one of the young daughters in attendance , said she had so much fun and loved “ dancing , the photo-booth , and when they dropped the balloons .”
Incoming Board President , Hannah Skinner , was there to make the opening speech of the evening . The profits from the Father-Daughter Dance benefited the Suwannee Chamber of Commerce scholarship fund , which is open for applications for Suwannee High and Branford High seniors who plan to attend college . The finale of the night is always the balloon drop of over 500 multicolored balloons that the attendees love to look forward to !
An immensely successful event such as this one would not have been possible without the support of its community . McCrimmon ’ s Office Systems was the title sponsor for this year ’ s dance . The rest of the sponsors for the event included Tri County Irrigation , Music Construction , Bulldog Bash , Edward Jones , Suwannee Valley Electric , Cameron Concrete , and Spirit of Suwannee Music Park . The musical entertainment DJ was sponsored by First Federal Bank of Florida and Rob Wolfe provided photography .
Thanks to all of the sponsors and the hard work put forth by the Suwannee County Chamber of Commerce members , girls and their fathers will forever remember this night in the Suwannee County Coliseum as they danced , laughed , and most importantly , got the chance to truly bond with each other on a night created just for them .
108 SUWANNEE CHAMBER IMPACT | 2021-2022