Roughly 150 fathers, father figures and male role models last month accompanied the young women in their lives to Poughkeepsie High School last month for an inaugural Daddy Daughter Dance.

The event – which will become an annual occasion each spring – was hosted by the Poughkeepsie City School District, the City of Poughkeepsie and Fatherhood Talk Live. It served as the ending celebration for Community Schools’ popular Donuts with Dad series, as well as a memorial for community leader Emmanuel Moore, the founder and CEO of Fatherhood Talk Live, who died last month. Moore, a tireless advocate and ally of fathers seeking to be involved in their child’s lives, was highly involved with the Donuts with Dad events and worked with many dads in the city.

Mostly, it was an opportunity for hundreds of girls to dress to the nines and enjoy a night of dancing and food with their father figures as their dates. In addition to fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, uncles, cousins, brothers and godfathers were among the men who brought one or more of the young ladies in their lives to the high school gymnasium. The groups walked in on a red carpet and under a balloon arch, and posed for portraits at a special backdrop.

“They were dressed to impress. Some of them came in coordinated outfits,” Fifth Ward Common Councilmember Ondie James said of the men and daughters. “They were so into each moment and so engaged – laughing, having dinner, pulling out the chairs for their daughters.”

James noted, it was intentionally marketed as an all-ages event. “Nobody said it’s just for the little girls. The daughters ranged from toddlers to high school seniors. I loved that.”

James is among the community leaders who had been working with Moore for more than a year to make his vision of the dance a reality. A plan to hold an event last spring fell through. This February, though, after Moore let James know his diagnosis was looking grim, she and the district’s Community Schools department worked to make it happen.

The district provided the venue, catering and the DJ. James, through the Common Council, provided funding for the event decorator. Mayor Yvonne Flowers and the city stepped in to cover the chair and table rentals, the photographer and the videographer. See a gallery of photos on Hooperazzi Photography’s website.

“We were able to pull together, all of us,” James said, calling herself an advocate of Moore’s Fatherhood Live radio show and his mission to support fathers. Much of his work was centered on advocacy for men whose ability to see their children was impacted by the criminal justice system. “What he was doing was reaching out to those who did not have a voice; who were good fathers but were not heard and not seen by the system. They just wanted to have a fair opportunity to be the fathers they knew they could be.”

Moore died roughly a week before the dance was held on March 29.

Moore spoke at many of the Donuts with Dads events, run by Community Schools liaison Gilbert Colon. The series, which is held at each school once through the course of the year, is an opportunity for fathers to eat and play games with their children while learning more about their school and discussing issues facing fathers. The last installment was held at Morse April 11. After low attendance during its inaugural year in 2023-24, interest skyrocketed with the first Donuts with Dads held this past fall and each has since been a booming success.

Colon called the dance “a beautiful token” to the series.

“You go to every school and give a platform to fathers. You give them a safe space to enjoy their child. You give them equity into the school district,” Colon said. “Then, you have a big celebration and it continues the momentum of positivity within the male community.”

James said she believed the dance was reassuring to Moore’s 14-year-old daughter. His service was held the morning of the dance in New York City. Still, she and several other family members were among the attendees. Photos of him, and him and her, were on display at the dessert table, and organizers gave her a plaque honoring her father.

“I know that was a tough day but she felt overwhelming support from the community,” the councilmember said. “She was smiling. She knew that’s what he wanted – his last wishes. I know it really made her heart happy.”

James said they made Moore a promise to hold the dance every year. Next year, she said, they may find a larger venue than the gymnasium in order to accommodate the overwhelming interest displayed. She called it part of Moore’s legacy and a final effort to continue supporting fathers.

“We want to possibly go to a larger venue where we can have as many attendees as we like,” she said, “as many people who want to come out and have a good time, can.”