Jonathan Allen made sure to wear his daughters’ favorite tie when getting ready to join more than 350 dads and their little princesses at Marbut Theme School’s annual

Father/Daughter dance on Feb. 11 at Lithonia High School.

“This is our third time coming to the dance and it makes me happier every year to spend this night with my girls. It’s well-organized and we dads get jazzed up for the night,” said Allen, who was on a double date with daughters Jaden, 8, and Jorden, 6. “I’ve been in it for a while and I love being a father. It really is a special moment to take your daughter on her first date.”

PTA member and event coordinator Markena Jones says the dance, held annually in February, is the Parent Teacher Association’s largest event, drawing at least 300 couples every year since the school opened during the 1996-1997 academic school year.

“The dance is great because for a lot of girls, it is their first date and they learn how to be treated with respect so they already have that expectation when they begin dating when they get older,” said Jones. “Especially with so many single mothers, I love the dance because we see grandfathers, uncles and even neighbors getting dressed up to share this night with our girls.”

PTA President Dionne McGee shared the event with her husband, Kevin, and their two daughters Amaya, 5 and Kayla, 9. The McGees said the dance means a lot to their family because it shows their two daughters how a man should treat a woman on a date.

“This event is very important to me because you get the chance to establish what kind of men our little ladies need in their life,” Kevin McGee said. “This is our fifth father/daughter dance and it always a fun night.”