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Why this Indiana dad took his daughter and her best friend to a school dance

Why this Indiana dad took his daughter and her best friend to a school dance
Posted at 8:31 AM, Apr 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-24 13:52:55-04

ELKHART, Ind. -- A northern Indiana father took his 10-year-old daughter and her best friend to a daddy-daughter dance last month for the perfect reason: so nobody would get left out.

Nine-year-old Ellcy Miller’s father died in 2016, so her best friend Angelina’s father, Russ Saputo, suggested a double date to the event at Trinity Lutheran School in Elkhart.

"It was an easy choice for me,” Saputo told ABC News. "Whatever makes these little girls smile is what I'll do. Ellcy is a sweetheart and she and Angelina have been friends since kindergarten."

Saputo went with Ellcy to her school’s father-daughter dance in May 2016, one month after her dad died. The families chose to make it a tradition this year at Angelina’s school.

Ellcy’s mother, Kellan White, was so appreciative of what Saputo had done.

"It was really very touching, and I totally think he's the greatest father," White told ABC News. "He treats Ellcy like she's his own. She can tell him anything -- that's the type of relationship they have together and Angelina and Ellcy are sisters."