THOMASVILLE – Communities in Schools volunteer Mary Jane Akerman knows that to gauge the state of the economy, you need only look at the children in public schools.

“You can read in newspapers about the unemployment rate, but we see it every day in the schools, where it’s translated in the lives of children,” says Akerman, who is co-chairwoman of this weekend’s Communities in Schools (CIS) fundraiser. “That’s where CIS steps up to help, and so we’re asking that our community help us do that.”

Communities in Schools of Thomasville will host “Dancing in the Moonlight: An Evening of Dining and Dancing Under the Stars,” Saturday evening at the Thomasville home of Dave and Jane Williams, longtime supporters of the CIS program in Thomasville.

The evening will include dinner and dancing, with live music provided by The Tom Holladay Orchestra, featuring The Lamplighters.

The event is being catered by Pepper Moon Catering, and there will be a wine-tasting table where guests can sample five different wines for $5.

Tickets are $85 apiece, $150 per couple or $600 for a table of 10, and all proceeds will benefit CIS of Thomasville.

“Our goal for this year is to raise $20,000,” says Akerman, who co-chairs the event with Donna Blakely. “That’s more than we have made in past years, but as I think many people are finding out, the need is greater. We felt like it was something where we had to set a high dollar amount, and we’ve put our efforts toward reaching that.”

According to Akerman, approximately 90 percent of children in Thomasville City Schools receive free or reduced-price lunches, a clear indicator of families’ need for assistance.

“We see the need every day in real ways,” she says. “Students walk in wearing shoes with holes in the bottom – we see that all the time. So what CIS does is we identify these kids and we buy them shoes, coats, backpacks, help take care of getting the kids to the doctor if the parents can’t afford it, buy them glasses if they need them.

“This past year at Christmas was really heartbreaking. Families usually ask for assistance with buying toys, but this year they were saying, ‘We’ve decided we’re not gonna be able to do toys this year, but we would sure appreciate some help with food.’”

Partnering with local businesses, faith communities, schools, agencies and volunteers, CIS helps students stay in school and prepare for life by providing mentoring, tutoring, reading partners, lunch buddies, a pregnancy prevention program, a character education program and life skills.

The goal, according to Blakely, is to provide children with five basic things:

• A healthy start and a healthy future.

• A safe place to learn and grow.

• A personal, one-on-one relationship with a caring adult.

• A marketable skill to use upon graduation.

• An opportunity to give back to their peers and community.

Despite the obvious impact of the economy on the Thomasville community, Blakely and Akerman have high hopes for Saturday’s fundraiser.

“We’ve been able to increase our corporate sponsors, both in number and amount,” Akerman says. “That’s quite an accomplishment in this economic environment, and I think it says a lot about the community of Thomasville that local businesses have been willing to step up and help us with this event.”