Safe Haven’s 16th Annual Dancing with the Statesboro Stars is set for Friday, Nov. 20 at Connection Church.
Friday’s show is set for 6:30 p.m. Tickets, which are selling fast, are available online at https://www.etix.com/ticket/o/11901/DWTSS. 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, along with dozens of other sponsors. 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 assist local victims of 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.
2026 teams
Ruth Atchley and Jad Deal
Shelly Clary and Trenton Higginbotham
Lauren Davis and Tchaka Grant
Anna Nessmith and Gibson Drew
Patricia Morissette and Cameron Clagg
Kally Giang and Kasey Berecz
Katie Sconyers and Tim Humphrey
Sydney Claire Smith and Matthew Hunt
Autumn McBride and Jalen Jenkins
Kensley Brooks and Tom Lieu
Jordan Rahn and Cassie Thomas
A fundraiser for Dancing with the Stars
“The DWTSS annual fundraiser is vital to Safe Haven,” Billings said. “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 2025 event raised $156,000 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.”
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 2024, the organization received 5,062 calls – an average of 14 calls per day.
“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.”
In 2024, 699 individuals and 32 pets received direct assistance from Safe Haven. Also, Safe Haven provided 23,000 nights of emergency shelter and 14,350 meals in 2024.
The service area includes six counties: Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, Jenkins, Screven and Washington.