Devoted dad takes final twirl
PHOTOS BY SKYE POURNAZARI/THE FORUM
Jim Wiederholt shares a dance with his daughters and grandnieces on Feb. 20 at the Butterfly Ball, previously known as the Daddy-Daughter Dance. For 22 years he has shared memories with at least one of the five girls at the annual dance.Shown with him from left are: Marissa Wiederholt, Miya Wiederholt, Sierra Wiederholt, Kyleigh Carney and Addisynn LaTour.
MARYVILLE, Mo. — For more than two decades, Jim Wiederholt and five special young ladies have had a date to the Maryville Parks and Recreation Daddy-Daughter Dance, and last week’s dance was definitely one for the scrapbook.
Now known as the Butterfly Ball, the event offers young women the opportunity to get dressed up for some fun and dance the night away with their dads or male role models in their lives during a special event featuring music, food and games.
At his final dance on Feb. 20 — a mere 22 years after his first — Wiederholt led his grandniece Addisynn LaTour about the dance floor. When called by DJ Mark Hendrix, they went to the center of the dance floor in celebration of his tenure at the annual event. Surprising him there, in front of all to see, were each of the girls he’d taken to the dance: his daughters, Marissa, Miya and Sierra Wiederholt, and grandniece Kyleigh Carney.
“I was surprised,” he told The Forum later. “I wasn’t so surprised when they called me out there, but when I saw all the girls, I was really surprised.”
The girls agreed they walked for a long time to make it to the dance floor and were worried he would see them, even in the hallway, but they were pleased with how the surprise turned out.
With broad smiles and big laughs, each took a turn on the dance floor with Wiederholt.
“I loved the idea initially of the Daddy-Daughter Dance,” he told The Forum by phone last week. He recalled that the first year of the event had very few couples — maybe 20 — and it was held in the small room next to the front desk. Over the years, it has grown large enough to require the entire gym, this year with 262 registrations. Elizabeth Lyle, marketing and events supervisor with Maryville Parks and Recreation, said that is the highest attendance since the COVID-19 pandemic. The record is 280 in 2018.
“All the girls have really enjoyed this,” Jim said confidently.
After the surprise, the family retired to the photography room, where Jim’s wife, Alice, waited with his scrapbook.
Filled with photos, ticket stubs and information about each year of the dance, the girls paged through it, talking about hairstyles and dresses, memories and expressions.
“It definitely makes me realize how quickly our girls grow up,” Jim said.
Alice told The Forum last week that she’s enjoyed the experience as well, getting to spend special time with the girls while shopping for dresses and getting their hair and nails done.
“I’ve always told him that this is showing the girls how their future partners are to treat them in life,” she said.
Sierra, now 21, said she has very fond memories of sharing this time with her father, including one where she was pretty sure he cheated in a game to help her win a prize she wanted.
“He claims he didn’t do it!” she said last week, but she knows he cares enough to have done it to make her night special.
Looking at the very first page, one of them commented that he wore green to the very first dance and to his last one as well.
“This was something to do with just him,” Sierra told The Forum by phone earlier in the day. “I’m really grateful for everyone at MPR that puts it on and that my dad took the time because he knew how much it meant to us.”
Jim offered a bit of advice to other fathers.
“I’ve been blessed to have this experience,” he said. “Kids grow up so fast. The Daddy-Daughter Dance is one of those you will remember forever. Make sure, whether it’s going fishing or throwing a baseball in the yard, make memories with your daughters.”
SKYE POURNAZARI/THE FORUM
Jim Wiederholt stands with his daughters and grandnieces at the Butterfly Ball last week, 22 years after his first Daddy-Daughter Dance. From left to right are Sierra Wiederholt, Marissa Wiederholt, Addisynn LaTour, Jim, Kyleigh Carney and Miya Wiederholt.
SKYE POURNAZARI/THE FORUM
Jim Wiederholt watches as his daughters and grandnieces look through a scrapbook kept over the more than two decades he’s attended the dance with them. From left are Jim Wiederholt, Addisynn LaTour, Sierra Wiederholt, Miya Wiederholt, Marissa Wiederholt and Kyleigh Carney.
