Landon Hudson, Free Press special writer

Friday was Rebekah Moritz's big night. But it was also a big night for her dad.

At 9, Rebekah donned a belted pink-chiffon dress, white tights and black-patent-leather Mary Jane shoes. All for a special date -- with her father.

William Moritz is a resident of Mariners Inn, a recovery center for men who are homeless and working to overcome substance abuse.

"I can't even explain it -- I haven't seen her in three months," said William Moritz, 46, of Redford Township, seated beside Rebekah.

On Friday, Mariners Inn became a decorated dance room, hosting its third annual Daddy Daughter Dance.

"Daddy, do you want some lemonade?" Rebekah asked her dad, as the two dug into dinner before the dancing.

Mariners Inn staff, interns and volunteers all pitched in for this third-annual father-daughter event, arranging flowers and preparing a cupcake bar. Mariners Inn covered all costs of the evening including tuxedo rentals -- obtained at a discount from Steve Petix Tuxedos of Livonia, a staffer said.

The center's clients, accustomed to T-shirts and blue jeans, stood tall in rented tuxedos and shiny black formal shoes Friday afternoon as they welcomed daughters -- and, some of them, granddaughters -- in girly finery. As they arrived, there were big smiles, a few shouts of joy and some tearful hugs.

Some of the dads' youngest dates, like 20-month-old Re'Nay Canty, looked like future ballerinas in their stiff little tutus, clearly inspired by the event's theme: "Tuxedos and Tutus."

"Things like this keep me grounded," confided Re'Nay's dad, James Canty, 39, of Detroit. Canty graduated seven months ago from the substance-treatment program at Mariner's Inn, and he now works for the city of Detroit's parks department in maintenance, he said. He returns to Mariner's Inn often for special events, which helps him to stick to his newly sober lifestyle, he said. Just then, he lifted Re'Nay from his lap and let her take a solo turn to the DJ's music.

"Go ahead, get it baby!" he called, as the youngster began swaying to the beat, drawing admiring words and giggles from onlookers.

Carina Jackson, chief operations officer at Mariners Inn, said the idea for a dance came about in 2014 as a way to give fathers in the program the chance to share a special night with their daughters.

“We wanted to give the men an opportunity to participate in an event that they may have missed out on in their addiction,” Jackson said.

"One of the daughters of our alumni said she had never gone to a dance with her dad, so her first one was three years ago when we started this. She and her dad attend every year and will be there this year also," Jackson said.

Some of the daughters were far older than those at the typical father-daughter dance. Like 28-year-old Jasmine Barker, 28, of Detroit, who clutched her own 2-year-old daughter. But mom was there to dance with her father, Arron Barker, she said.

"I was late -- traffic was bad -- but I wasn't going to disappoint him," Jasmine Barker said, as her father nodded and smiled.

“Many times we have adult women attending with their fathers,” Jackson said. “These are girls who maybe didn't get this chance years ago with their fathers. Now they can both experience it," she said, adding: "It gives the men an opportunity to make up for lost time."

The center provides family counseling for the men and their family members, as part of their substance-abuse treatment.

The event was an outgrowth of the institution's Strengthening Families Program, which works to reunify men with their children, and which provides parenting classes so that the bonds remain strong and constructive, Jackson said.

“Sometimes it's a struggle getting the daughters there because the men need to make amends,” Jackson said. But for those who attend and reconnect, parent to child, the sheer activity of the dinner-dance event is therapeutic.

"Just look at the smiles," she said.

Free Press Staff Writer Bill Laitner contributed to this report.