Annual Father/Daughter tickets sell out in 3 hours

Tickets for Father/Daughter Date Night have sold out again. The 11th annual event has been a red-hot ticket for the past several years.

This year?s tickets went on sale Jan. 2 and sold out in about three hours. That?s no small feat given there were 400 tickets available.

?We have people who come from Nashville,? said Kathy Bouldin, who organizes the event with her husband, Keith. ?When we started this 11 years ago, we didn?t know it would turn into the anticipated event that it has become. The demand has gotten greater every year.?

An ad in Sunday?s Southern Standard offered to pay $100 for two tickets. The face value of two tickets is $50.

Given the demand for tickets, some may plan to camp out the night before they go on sale in an attempt to get tickets.

?That?s what I was told,? said Kathy. ?We have some fathers who have taken their daughters every year since it began. They don?t want to miss a year even though their daughters are now grown.?

There is one story that has really touched Bouldin?s heart:

A local father had always taken his two daughters to date night. However, one daughter moved out of town. Expecting only to take his local daughter to date night, he was surprised to see his second daughter waiting at the entrance to the Civic Center. As a surprise, the daughters had purchased an extra ticket and planned for the daughter to be waiting.

?I?ve heard numerous stories,? said Kathy. ?I wish I had written down every one. That story in particular is very touching.?

Despite the demand for the date night tickets, the number of tickets will remain the same. There are two reasons for this decision:

? The Civic Center can only hold 400 people safely.

? Because young people are involved, the dance will not be expanded to include the upper level of the Civic Center.

Adding another night isn?t possible either.

?Everything we do is done by volunteers,? said Bouldin. ?I get everyone I can involved in this. We are exhausted when it?s over but it?s worth it.?

Given the demand for tickets, those who purchased tickets and cannot make the dance are asked to call Grand Rental Station at 473-4578. Those who wish to purchase tickets can call to be placed on a waiting list. Available tickets will be offered to the first on the list.

For those planning to camp out, tickets always go on sale the first full work day at the beginning of the year.

This year?s Father/Daughter Date Night will be held Feb. 10. Pictures begin at 5 p.m. and the dance begins at 6 p.m. The meal is served at 6:30 p.m. The event ends at 10 p.m.