story by Madi Winfield

About 45 familial pairs attended Father-Daughter Bowling Night at Ward Parkway Lanes Jan. 8. This annual event was hosted by the St. Joseph’s Society, an organization for fathers of St. Teresa’s students.

“As people came and checked in, we basically explained to them how it was gonna work,” junior Katelyne Kratofil, whose father chairs the St. Joseph’s Society, said. “There were going to be teams of dads and daughters in a pair and they were going to enter as one person on the game, and then each of the lanes was gonna have six pairs in it.”

Along with two games of bowling, the night also consisted of a dessert contests. Bowling participants were encouraged to bring baked goods, and the four baked goods that were finished fastest won.

photos by Meghan Baker and Madi Winfield

Gallery • 13 Photos

Freshmen Grace Guame and Hannah Gant talk by the dessert table at Ward Parkway Lanes Jan. 8. photo by Meghan Baker

In past years, closer to 35 groups of dads and daughters attended this event. Kratofil and her dad saw an extreme uptake in participation when over 70 families reserved spots at the event.

“I think we were expecting to have a lot more people,” Kratofil said. “I don’t think he was taking into account that a lot of people who had reserved spaces weren’t going to show up.”

Kratofil believes the demand for this event comes largely from an untapped desire to bond.

“I think a lot of dads wish they could be more involved in their daughter’s life, especially with girls at St. Teresa’s [because] we’re all so busy,” Kratofil said. “It’s really nice to have events like this where we can say, ‘All right, putting this on the calendar, blocking this out; this is something we’re going to do together.’”

The St. Joseph’s Society’s next event, Parent-Daughter Mass, will be held at 7:10 a.m. Feb. 2.