By Allison Peck
OGALLALA, Neb. — The Ogallala YMCA is bringing back its Daddy-Daughter Dance this weekend, giving families an opportunity to enjoy an evening of music, dancing and memories after the event was canceled earlier this year.
The dance is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., with tickets still available. Admission is $20 for a set of tickets, with additional tickets available for $2 each. There is no age restriction for daughters attending the event.
DJ Seth Tophoj will provide entertainment for the evening, including music, lights and special effects. Tophoj previously provided entertainment for the YMCA's Mother-Son Dance, which organizers say was a success.
Turner Photography will offer a pop-up photo booth where families can receive printed photos in keepsake holders during the event. Shelby Boer will also be on hand to capture red-carpet photos.
Melissa Edmonds with the Ogallala YMCA said the dance is about more than getting dressed up and spending an evening on the dance floor.
“I think just that bonding experience and making those memories and those experiences with your kids is so important,” Edmonds said.
Edmonds said the Mother-Son Dance was well received, and she hopes the Daddy-Daughter Dance will provide the same opportunity for families to spend quality time together.
“They had so much fun dancing,” Edmonds said. “It felt like a total dance floor.”
Along with the upcoming dance, the YMCA is encouraging community members to participate in its ongoing Duck Hunt promotion, which offers a 30% discount on a year's membership.
Clues are posted on the YMCA's Facebook and Instagram pages, leading participants to locations around Ogallala where small ducks have been hidden. Two ducks are placed at each location, and participants who find one can return it to the YMCA to claim the membership discount.
New clues were released this week following an earlier round that included locations such as the police station, Front Street and the courthouse.
Edmonds said several ducks from the previous round have yet to be returned.
“If you found a duck and haven't brought it back, we're missing lots of them,” Edmonds said. “If you could bring our cute little duckies back, please, that would be amazing.”
The YMCA is also continuing to expand its children's programming through community partnerships.
Its Rugrats program has teamed up with the local library to combine reading with hands-on activities. Children participate in activities designed around the stories being shared, creating an interactive learning experience.
“I think just that partnership with the library has really helped us in being able to reach more of the community,” Edmonds said.
Meanwhile, the YMCA's Kids' Corner after-school program is preparing for a Halloween-themed family night on Oct. 23, featuring a party and pumpkin painting.
The celebration is part of the program's monthly family engagement activities required through its 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant.
To help support the event, photography services will be offered at the Saved by the Well pumpkin patch. Amanda, who works with the after-school program, will operate a pop-up photography booth, donating 30% of her proceeds toward the Halloween celebration.
Families interested in attending the Daddy-Daughter Dance can purchase tickets at the Ogallala YMCA.
Additional information about upcoming events, membership promotions and children's programs is available through the YMCA's Facebook and Instagram pages. Families involved in Kids' Corner can also request access to a dedicated Facebook group for program updates.