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| Splash photo by Treva Lind |
Jeff and Kathryn Munro have attended the Father Daughter Dance organized by the Liberty Lake Kiwanis Club since it was founded. The 10th anniversary event is March 7, and Kathryn is now a senior in high school.
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Profiles: Dad, daughter make it 10 for 10 attending dance
1/28/2015 1:34:26 PM
By Treva Lind
Splash Contributor
A family photo shows a beaming 8-year-old Kathryn Munro in a pink and peach party dress next to her dad, Jeff Munro, the first of nine such father-daughter portraits. A frame awaits No. 10 to mark all the years the two have attended the Father Daughter Dance, and both say they won't miss the event's 10-year anniversary March 7.
For the festivities at CenterPlace, they also will follow their traditions of dressing up, going out to dinner beforehand, getting their portrait taken, and hitting the dance floor a few times.
Kathryn is now an accomplished 18-year-old high school student at Central Valley, but Jeff Munro said he still sees glimpses in his mind of her at age 8 whenever they dance together at the event.
Submitted photo
Jeff and Kathryn Munro are pictured from the very first Father Daughter Dance in 2006.
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"We've danced together usually more than once when we're there, and at that moment, every time, I remember when she was 8," Jeff said. "Just to be enthralled at that little girl and be amazed at this beautiful young woman at the same time is a wonderful thing to experience.
"It's been sort of a benchmark to watch her grow up. You have birthdays, vacations, but the Father Daughter Dance has been one of those moments."
Kathryn remembers early dances held at Liberty Lake Elementary, until the event grew too large and moved eight years ago to CenterPlace. At those early-year dances, she ran around more with young friends, but that practice morphed into her focusing on individual time with her dad.
Also early on, father and daughter would usually have dinner with a group of dance-bound friends. In the latter years, however, just the two of them went to a nice restaurant. Jeff lets Kathryn select where to eat.
"It became more of a time to hang out with my dad," Kathryn said. "I think my favorite part is the dinner before because we get to sit and talk. I get to dress up, go out to dinner with my dad. Usually, it's Hay J's or Red Robin. It's just a special time with my dad."
In addition to dinners and dancing, Jeff has another favorite memory of Kathryn at the annual event.
"Kathryn has a very generous spirit," Jeff said. "One year she won a basket at the dance, and there were several younger girls around her who were just thrilled at what was in the basket, so she shared items in the basket with them. That was Kathryn just being Kathryn."
The music at the event is fun as well, both said, including a mix of contemporary and older songs. Jeff, glancing over at Kathryn with a smile, added, "I dance with you every time they do ‘Butterfly Kisses.'"
Kathryn said the dances always have a good selection of popular music played by a DJ.
"They'll do some of this era music for the kids, and some of the era for our dads," she said. "I think last year they played, `Let It Go,' and they probably will again this year. They've played Taylor Swift and Hannah Montana. They've played `Brown Eyed Girl' almost every year.
"They do a few slow dances. When you're dancing more popular dances, you have to watch for the littler girls doing the Conga or dancing up on the stage. I just go have fun. My dad does, too."
She also said organizers create fun around numerous gift baskets for raffle, because families buy the raffle tickets and many of the little girls go around and find the baskets they want to put tickets toward.
"They have about 20 baskets, and I've won three baskets over the course of nine years," she said.
Jeff said Kiwanis organizers go the extra mile each year making the young ladies feel special and creating elegant decorations with balloons and table centerpieces. Each girl receives a flower, he added. The night also has a fun theme. While he is a Kiwanis member, he gets to sit this night out to be with his daughter.
"The club and the lady organizers do such an amazing job just creating this event, and because of what they do, every girl just feels like a princess," Jeff said. "They've created a really first-class event."
"It's an overall experience with many highlights," Jeff added. "We make it an event. We get our picture taken. We have dinner beforehand. We get punch, and we'll look at the baskets."
He plans to help in future years at the dance, if Kathryn isn't able to make it while in college.
However, Kathryn said she does plan to continue going with her dad to the annual event if school doesn't take her too far away.
"If I stay close to home, I'll make a point to go," she added.
She hasn't yet decided which university she'll attend. Kathryn stays busy now with three AP classes and a college-level Spanish class. Outside of school and homework, she loves to read, hang out with friends, and watch movies.
Kathryn said she believes that the Father Daughter Dance plays an important role in the community.
"They're important to make our community seem even more friendly and family-oriented, and focusing on everyone from children to adults being happy living here," she said. "There's also connection. It gives us time to just sit and talk, to bond a little more."
Her dad echoed those thoughts. "I think any time you give dads a chance to value their daughters, it's a good thing. This is just time set aside to focus on the relationship."
Jeff said the dance is important on many levels, in addition to the one-on-one quality time.
"I want to set a standard for Kathryn when she's dating, an expectation about how she ought to be treated and how she ought to feel, and I love spending time with her," he said. "It's just a special experience to share with your daughter."
Jeff and Kathryn say many people attend year after year, and a few who have moved away travel back just to go.
"We have cousins who live in Salt Lake City, and they come back for the dance," Kathryn said. "They said they wouldn't miss it because it's just one of those events people don't want to miss."
The rest of the Munro family also has staked out fun during the annual event. Wife and mom JoLynn has taken Kathryn's brother, Brian, to informal mother-son outings with friends during the Father Daughter Dance. Once, mothers and sons had a laser tag fight, and another year, they went bowling.
Each year, Jeff has asked Kathryn again whether she wants to go to the dance or not. Each time, Kathryn has answered yes.
"My commitment to Kathryn is I'll continue to take her for as long as she'll let me," he said.
Kathryn added, "He's said that to me even when I was little. I always have wanted to go."
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Profiles: Kathryn Munro and Jeff Munro
Ages
Kathryn, 18, Jeff, 50
Day jobs
Kathryn, Central Valley High School student; Jeff, small business owner
Family
Wife and mom, JoLynn; son and brother, Brian, 15
Time as Liberty Lake residents
13 years
Favorite hangout
Kathryn: Starbucks in Liberty Lake. Jeff: Pavillion Park in the summertime; I love the events.
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IF YOU GO ...
The 10th annual Father Daughter Dance
The dance will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. March 7 at CenterPlace Regional Event Center in Spokane Valley. Presented by Liberty Lake Kiwanis and the city of Spokane Valley, the night's theme is "Alice's Evening in Wonderland." Tickets are $45 per father-daughter couple, and $20 for each additional daughter. To purchase tickets, call 688-0300 or visit www.spokanevalley.org/recreation. Seating is limited at 600; tickets must be purchased in advance.
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