The upcoming “Cover me, daddy” blanket-making date and expo is about more than making blankets, said Tamara Williams. It is about making memories that will last forever.

“Every time they’re sitting on the couch curled up whether they’re little girls, in high school or even adults, they will remember that their dad thought they were important enough to take time out of their day to make this blanket with them,” Williams told the Exchange Club Thursday.

The event is brought by Daughters Lives Matter, a movement that Williams became involved in in California when she was living there and brought back to Pike County.

This event will be the first Daughters Lives Matter event in Alabama, she said.

The goal of the organization and the event are to bring fathers and daughters closer together.

“Fathers are the first line of defense for their daughters,” Williams said. “In their absence, they will let the wrong people put things in their ears about them that aren’t true.”

Williams said the event ties in with the Exchange Club’s focus on child protection.

“I worked 20 years as a social worker in Child Protective Services, so knowing that’s close to your heart means a lot to me,” Williams said. “Fathers need to be the first person to tell a young lady she’s beautiful, intelligent and important.”

The event will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Troy Recreation Center on April 21.

Tickets are currently on sale for $35 that includes blanket materials, and a meal for both father and daughter. A ticket for an additional daughter can be purchased for $20, which includes a meal and materials for a second blanket.

Williams said the blanket-making is “very father-friendly” with no sewing involved, only knot-tying.

In addition to the blanket-making portion of the event, there will also be entertainment including dancers from Shebang and St. Paul as well as special music. There will also be a spoken word poetry contest for young women who have entered poetry about father-daughter relationships, with a $100 gift card going to the top piece courtesy of Troy Bank and Trust.

Williams said this event is for all fathers and daughters, not for one segment of society. She also encouraged grandfathers, uncles, father figures or even mothers to bring young ladies to the event if they do not have a father in their life.

“This is so much more than a blanket-making date,” Williams said. “It is an opportunity to ensure our daughters are educated, protected and prepared to take their place in the marketplace; to be contributing citizens helping our community grow.”

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 334-465-9800 or 334-424-8452 or visit www.daughterslivesmatter.com. Sponsors are needed and volunteers are welcome.