LEWISTON – Staff Sgt. Wes Peaslee ditched an Army colonel Saturday night and pulled on his dress uniform for someone lots more important: his 7-year-old daughter, Abby.
Holding hands, the Auburn couple dodged a white Hummer limousine full of giggling girls and proud dads and strolled into the Ramada Inn for the annual Father-Daughter Valentine Ball.
“I had to be here,” Peaslee said. Meanwhile, Abby, wearing a ruffled red dress, shyly clung to his arm. “Last year, I was in Iraq.”
Peaslee serves with the 619th Transportation Company, an Army reserve unit based in Auburn. Last year, the group arrived back home on Valentine’s Day amid hugs and tears.
In some ways, this seemed even sweeter.
“It gives Abby and I a chance to spend some special time together,” Peaslee said.
For the more than 400 fathers and daughters who attended the 10th annual dance, a benefit for The Public Theatre, it was a chance to leave behind bustling homes and many noisy brothers. Girls 4 to 14 were welcome.
“This is our first date,” said Matthew McNally, who brought his daughter, Emiley, who’s almost 6.
Emiley strolled into the hotel wearing a fluffy pink coat over a red dress. Inside, she pulled off her coat, wore a corsage on wrist and passed a row of moms with their cameras flashing.
Inside, amid the red and white balloons and the pink punch served in champagne glasses, the moms are banned.
“There wouldn’t be enough room for them all,” said volunteer Tara Paradie, who’s daughter Emma has attended each of the last three years.
The Auburn 7-year-old came with her dad, Verne.
“I’ll start planning for next year tomorrow,” she said. Her grandmother bought her black dress before Christmas.
Like many of the girls, she went to dinner first. And when she arrived, she was ready to dance.
The disk jockey warmed up the crowd with Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” A few minutes later, he blasted ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.”
“Do you like dancing better with me or your friends?” Verne asked Emma. The girl glanced at the dance floor then up to her dad.
“Both,” she answered.
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