By Oniska Blevins | The Selma Times-Journal

Selma fathers and daughters are preparing to dance the night away at the YMCA of Selma-Dallas County’s father-daughter dance on Feb. 24.

The masquerade ball themed dance will be at the YMCA, located at 1 YMCA Road, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. The tickets can be purchased at the YMCA front desk for $10 per father-daughter duo plus $5 for each additional child.

Vanessa Felts, aquatics director for the YMCA, said they wanted to go outside the usual Valentine’s Day theme for the dance and felt the masquerade theme was a unique idea.

Felts said the money raised from the dance will benefit the many programs at the Y and will also be used to help fund new program ideas.

Felts also said the idea of the father-daughter dance is so that fathers can show their daughters “how a young lady is to be treated.”

“I believe it is important for fathers to have that time with their daughters and also for the young girls to have something to do with their friends and also their dads,” Felts said.

Family involvement is an important aspect in the planning of some of the events at the YMCA, Felts said.

“We always try to find ways to have family involvement,” Felts said.

“So anytime we can get parents and the children to work together and do things together the main thing we’re trying to do is promote a healthy home life for youth development.”

For more information or to purchase tickets for the dance, contact the YMCA of Selma-Dallas County at (334) 874-9622.