TOLEDO, Iowa — With Friday being Valentine's day, Thursday was for the Dads.
The annual Daddy-Daughter dance at the Ella P. Stewart Academy saw a 1950's theme.
The Buffalo Soldiers were there to make sure every student had an escort.
Light, balloons, retro glasses and poodle skirts were in abundance at the Ella P. Stewart Academy in central Toledo.
As music blasted, the girls took to the dance floor with their much taller dates.
"I'm happy I get to dance with my baby right here," Dad Tim Haynes said.
Kindergartner Janaya Haynes had help picking out her outfit from Mom, from her polka dot bow to saddle shoe.
"I was excited because it's almost Valentine's Day," Janaya said.
Father Tim used his best googling skills to make sure he matched knowing there would be some competition on the dance floor.
The Buffalo Soldiers stepped in for anyone who needed a dance partner.
"It just means a lot to us again, to be able to stand in as surrogate fathers and somebody they can look up to," Buffalo Soldiers President Earl Mack said.
The night is for making memories, both on the dance-floor and in a special photo booth because dads like Tim know how precious this time is.
"I love it. I cherish every moment, every moment," Haynes said.