Brightside Advocacy's Savannah Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program held its annual Dancing with Savannah Stars fundraising event at Victory North this past Friday, May 13th. This event featured twelve “Savannah Stars” who were paired with a professional dancer to compete on stage and raise funds to sustain programming needs for Chatham County children who have experienced abuse and neglect. Together, these dancers raised a record-breaking $225,000.

This year's incredible Savannah Stars were Angela Lightsey of Tybee Wellness Retreats, Cissy Smith of The Savannah Board of Realtors, Gillian Karatassos of Gillian Trask Design, Kierstin Graham of Chatham County Safety Net Planning Council, Marianne Ganem-Poppell of Savannah Master Calendar, Marvette Wilkerson of Georgia Southern University, Moncello Stewart of Savannah State University, Nicole Rawls of Rawls Realty, Pria Padgett of WTOC., Rick Ellison of Retirees Unite For the Future (RUFF), Sabriya Scott of Scott Realty Professionals and Jonathan Jefferson of Memorial Health. 

The event was co-hosted by Front Porch Improv’s John Brennan and Dan Gilbert. Judges included Mayor Van Johnson, Judge Tammy Stokes, Kim Skalla, Averil Hull, and DJ Rax. Winners included Sabriya Scott - Top Fundraiser and Best Female Dancer, Moncello Stewart - Best Male Dancer, and Nicole Rawls - Crowd Favorite. 

“This is the biggest, annual fundraiser for our organization and this year’s show was one for the record books. We had 12 high-motivated dancers who worked hard to bring awareness and raise funds for the children that we serve in foster care. Their dedication to our mission will have a lasting impact on families in our community and that is a priceless gift to us.” states Kate Blair, Executive Director of Brightside Advocacy’s Savannah CASA.