Safe Haven's 13th Annual Dancing with the Statesboro Stars is set for Thursday, Nov. 9, at Connection Church, with an encore performance on Sunday, Nov. 12.
Thursday's show will start at 6:30 p.m., while showtime Sunday is 3 p.m. Tickets, which are selling fast, are available online at https://buy.tututix.com/DWTSS or in person at Morris Bank's main office, 201 N. Main St., in downtown Statesboro. Tickets will be available at the door.
The annual fundraiser helps Safe Haven's mission to assist victims of domestic violence and raises awareness about a subject that is sometimes kept in the dark.
This year's event is presented by D&R Intensive Car Care, said Kim Billings, director of Public Relations/Legal Services for Safe Haven. She also works to produce the Dancing with the Statesboro Stars show each year, alongside many other dedicated individuals, she said.
"The DWTSS Committee and Safe Haven team work diligently behind the scenes to prepare for the much-loved community event," Billings said. "We are so grateful for all for volunteers, sponsors and community support that goes into making this such a success."
While the event is fun to watch and for the participants on stage, the fundraiser helps to meet the needs of Safe Haven and the dark times that some individuals face from domestic violence.
Safe Haven's mission is "…to serve, strengthen and support victims and children of domestic violence through the provision of emergency and community-based services. Safe Haven is dedicated to ending the cycle of family violence through prevention, education, outreach and housing programs," Billings said.
Safe Haven services
What the community may not realize about Safe Haven and its services, Billings said, is that all the services offered are free, as well as confidential.
Phone calls made to the crisis line are answered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In 2022, the organization received 5,826 calls – an average of 16 calls per day.
"Nine percent of those callers were male, which means 524 men called," Billings said, in discussing some facts the community may not know about Safe Haven and its endeavors.
"We offer services to the men, women, children and pets that have experienced domestic violence," she said. "Services include our 24/7 crisis line, safety planning, emergency shelter, temporary protective orders, outreach assistance, housing program, pet assistance and so much more."
Many people don't realize that the organization will assist victims in safely getting their pet from the home of their abuser. Safe Haven also provides food for the pets. The organization provided 18,800 meals last year through their programs.
The service area includes six counties: Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, Jenkins, Screven and Washington. In 2022, 716 individuals received direct assistance from Safe Haven.
Importance of Dancing with the Stars
"The DWTSS annual fundraiser is vital to Safe Haven," Billings said. "The fundraising proceeds are utilized as match funds. This means that for every $25 raised from DWTSS, the agency can provide $100 of client assistance for a family in need. Financial assistance provided by our agency includes utility deposits, rental assistance, legal assistance, and other needed necessities to support an independent life free from abuse."
The 2022 event raised more than $150,000 for Safe Haven.
She added, "This event has also become an entertaining way to raise awareness about a topic a lot of people either don't want to talk about or don't know enough about."
The event raises funds through ticket sales, sponsorships from local businesses and through the fundraising efforts of each individual team. The teams host various events and fundraisers from the kickoff in June to the November showtimes.
Dancing team
One of the teams consists of Lisa Horton and Michael McCurdy. Horton is a native of Glennville, but made Statesboro home in 2011 along with her husband, Raymond Horton, Jr. and their five children.
McCurdy is a native of Detroit, Michigan, but moved to Statesboro two years ago from Central Florida. McCurdy currently works at Georgia Southern, but recently began teaching dance classes at the Averitt Center for the Arts. 20 years ago, he started studying Salsa dancing, then moved to studying other partner dance styles. His wife, Regina, nominated him as a dance pro for this year's event.
Together, Team Horton/McCurdy has hosted five fundraisers along with collecting individual donations.
"When I think about what Safe Haven does for our community I am in awe. As a parent I want what is best for my children and to protect them," Horton said. "I want them to be happy, healthy, and self-sufficient. Each victim of domestic violence needs a support system that wants those same things for them. Safe Haven is there when others aren't. That is why it is important to keep this mission going. You never know who will need help."
Also, Billings said several local businesses have been instrumental in helping Horton and McCurdy with their fundraising, and a yet-to-be-opened business, The Drip Bar, was the event sponsor of the team's Autumn Bash held in October. Several restaurants hosted percentage nights for the duo and those funds, as Billings mentioned, will go back to Safe Haven and be matched in order to fund services.
In the beginning, Horton said she was nervous to ask for donations, but learned that Statesboro's community would support causes it believes in.
"We have found that Statesboro has a healthy share of residents that truly care about their community and are more than willing to extend a helping hand. This warms my heart…I quickly learned that Safe Haven and DWSS have created a positive impression on the community," she said.
Horton said she hopes to set an example for others to step outside of their comfort zones and participate in fundraising efforts. That might not mean putting on a pair of dancing shoes, but there are other ways to help, she said.
While DWSS is an important fundraiser, the needs of Safe Haven don't stop there. Billings said that they are currently partnering with concerned citizens to prepare for the upcoming holidays.
"The (Safe Haven) program provides many different kinds of support for victims of domestic violence," Horton said. "Survivors are given knowledge and resources that help them to lead a life of safety, security and self-sufficiency. This is a life changing program. Why would I not support that?"