MADISON COUNTY – The Believer Educated Unique organization is hosting its first Father Daughter Masquerade to help young girls in building self-esteem.

The organization urges fathers (or father figures) to attend the free event with their daughters who are at least five years old. The dance will be held on Feb. 16 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Turner-Surles Community Resource Center at 702 Sycamore St. NW in Decatur.

While they are strengthening father-daughter relationships, the guests will enjoy music, dancing, games, prizes and refreshments.

Registration is limited to 100, and pre-registration is required by Feb. 8. To pre-register, visit believereducatedunique.org/father-daughter-dance-registration.

“I’m telling young girls to grab their father, grandfather, uncle or that special father figure for a night to remember,” Ashley Davis said. Davis is Founder and Executive Director of Believer Educated Unique.

Father Daughter Masquerade “is important because it encourages the father-daughter relationship. Young girls who have a warm, close relationship with their dads are better able to handle everyday stressors,” Davis said.

Davis cited a study in “Journal of Family Psychology” that states girls are less prone to depression and anxiety and are better able to talk about their feelings when they have a solid rapport with their fathers.

Davis, a Decatur native and U.S. Air Force veteran, currently works on Redstone Arsenal. “BEU is a mentoring-centric organization striving to influence positive growth and change by creating mindsets focused on self-improvement and overcoming obstacles to be successful,” she said.

The Father Daughter Masquerade Dance will be the nonprofit organization’s first big event since Davis founded BEU in October 2017.

“Through Believer Educated Unique, we want to help stop bullying through education programs that will help our youth build a better sense of self-esteem, self-worth and well-being through leadership development, wellness and academic services,” Davis said.

The masquerade dance does not have a formal dress code, except guests are encouraged to wear masquerade.

Believer Educated Unique’s mailing address is P.O. Box 2562, Decatur AL 35602. For more information, visit believereducatedunique.org.