Savannah/Chatham County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Inc. is excited to announce that The 13^th Annual Dancing with Savannah Stars will be held Friday, April 9, 2021 at 7pm - www.savannahcasa.org/dwss. The goal is to raise $150,000 to sustain programming needs and resources for children who have experienced abuse and neglect.  

This year, the kick-off will be an invitation-only cocktail party on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at Cha Bella located on 102 E Broad St, Savannah, GA 31401. Affiliated press are also welcomed to attend.

The 2021 participating dancers include: Amanda Meyer, Ambria Berksteiner, Averil Hull, Blair Beasley, Camille Russo, Cori Williams, Liza DeMarco, Pete Randall, Samantha Oughtred and Steve Candler. 

The efforts of each 2021 Savannah Star will ensure that every child in foster care has an advocate amplifying their voice. Currently, CASA volunteers represent approximately 300 children  who have experienced abuse or neglect. However, at any given time there are nearly 400 children in foster care in Chatham County and each of those children deserve to have a CASA volunteer supporting them. CASA volunteers increase access to services, promote safety, and advocate for timeliness and permanency for children involved in juvenile court proceedings. Research has shown that children who have a CASA volunteer fare much better in the child welfare system and in adulthood than those who do not.  Savannah/Chatham County CASA is working towards serving 100 percent of the children in foster care by the end of 2021 and this event is instrumental in making that happen.

“Coming together as a community and bringing awareness to the needs of our children in foster care in an entertaining way is my favorite aspect of this event. Our team works extremely hard to ensure that children with highly traumatic experiences have the support that they need and this fundraiser is a vital part of us fulfilling our mission,” says Kate Blair, Executive Director of Savannah/Chatham County CASA. 

All of the funds raised from the campaign will be used to support volunteer recruitment, training, and retention to ensure that Chatham county can become a community where every child who has experienced abuse or neglect is given the opportunity to thrive in a safe and loving home.