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Lakeway CASA will have its ‘Concert for CASA’ Saturday, July 29th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Colley Hill Farm in Dandridge.

The concert to be held at the farm located at 740 Sam Martin Road, will feature GRITS from Dumplin Valley as the headlining artist.

The cover band was formed in 2006 and plays everything from classic rock to blues and dance.

“We are so excited to have GRITS from Dumplin Valley performing at the concert,” said Kelley Williams, executive director. “They are very well known in the area and play music hits everyone can enjoy.”

The free concert will feature BBQ from Wholly Soul, homemade lemonade from Twinz Main Squeeze and a silent auction benefiting the Lakeway CASA of Jefferson County Volunteer Program.

“The concert is free, but we will be there to accept donations from anyone who would like to help our mission,” Williams said. “We will also have a silent auction and those funds will go towards helping us advocate for children in the foster system.

“The auction will have tickets to a variety of local attractions such as Dollywood and also for vacations at a local cabin in Gatlinburg and to a Westgate Resort.

“Anyone who stops by the concert can also enjoy delicious food from Wholly Soul or lemonade from the new Twins Main Squeeze food truck.”

Tennessee state law allows for judges to appoint CASA volunteers to speak up for the child’s best interests.

CASA is a program that trains volunteers that advocate for abused and neglected children. Volunteers work within the court system and the community to ensure these children have a voice in determining their outcomes.

“Our job is to be an objective entity who represents the best interests of the child with the goal of securing a safe, permanent home,” Williams said. “We are another set of eyes and we watch over the child and make sure that we do whatever is best for them.”

Lakeway CASA asks volunteers to stick with a case until a child is in a permanent home. Volunteers visit their child at least once a month one-on-one.

“Volunteers make sure that a child’s physical and mental health is where it needs to be and also helps offer support in this hard time,” Williams said.

However, the primary responsibility is to advocate for a child in juvenile court.

“Volunteers attend court sessions and share with the judge what they believe a child needs,” Williams said. “We work hard to ensure no child falls through the cracks. We do not work for the child’s family, the state, or other interested parties. We work for the child.

“Most CASA volunteers represent only one child, or family of children at a time so we can ensure that all the attention is drawn to one child.”

The concert’s goal, although a fun time for the community, is to help spread the function of CASA and what it does for the community.

“This is a chance for us to share with the community who we are,” Williams said. “Many still don’t know who we are and what we do for kids.

“During intermission we will have two volunteers come up and share their story and experience as volunteers and how they have made a difference. We will also have several staff members and other volunteers present to answer and question the community about us and what it’s like to be a volunteer.”

For those interested in CASA or becoming a volunteer, call 423- 307-5762, email lakewaycasainformation@gmail.com or visit its website.