Safe Haven’s 15th Annual Dancing with the Statesboro Stars is set for Thursday, Nov. 20 at Connection Church, with an encore performance on Sunday, Nov. 23.
The Thursday 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://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.
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.
2025 teams
Taylor Bunch and Kasey Berecz
Sydney Davis and Terrell Hughes
G. Flores and Kelsey Flannery
Dr. Isaac Fordjour and Autumn McBride
Emily Gillen and Bryan Realiza
Paige Dutton and Cameron Clagg
Boyd Green and Bryn Green
Chyann Hoyle and Jade Hamilton
Alex Wagner and Mallory Culbreth
Madelyn Richie and Trenton Higginbotham
Thomas Still 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 2024 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.”