Cowboys and cowgirls head to the dance floor for a good cause at Aiken County charity event

ERIN WEEKS, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·2 min read

Mar. 9—Boot Scootin' for our Kids, the Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County's largest fundraiser, had guests dancing the night away at the Big Red Barn on Friday night.

Attendees donned their best Western-style getups, enjoyed cocktails, dinner, a silent auction and country music performances by local band Anybody's Guess.

Event emcees, WRDW-Channel 12 news anchor Laura Warren and Aiken County Council member Andrew Siders, kept the crowd lively throughout the night.

Each $75 ticket for event entry went directly toward the organization's cause — to aid children who have been victimized by physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse.

"At the end of the night, it's not about the music, or the food, or the dancing, or even the thrill of the bidding wars. It's about a community coming together with one unanimous goal — to do their part in providing abused and neglected children in our community with the chance of healing," said Logan C. Ford, child abuse prevention educator with the Child Advocacy Center.

Stephanie Bennett is a Child Advocacy Center volunteer who has spent lots of time interacting with the children who are brought into the center. She talked about the importance of the funds raised for the organization.

"The funds from this event, they basically all go to the Child Advocacy Center. It's just really, really exciting to see how many people come up and show their support for this organization," she said.

Tiara Timmerman was a guest at the Boot Scootin' event for the second time, and called it a time of "good music, good fellowship."

Timmerman hopes to continue participating every year.

"It's important to me to help children, and this is a great organization to help children heal ... sadly it's much needed," she said. "I'm just glad to be here to be a part of it."

Bob Bonnett with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions attended, saying "children this day and age need all the help they can get. This is a great cause, that's why I'm here to support it."

"This is a special night because we are raising awareness and raising funds to help the children that we serve at the Child Advocacy Center," said Samantha Gray, the center's forensic interviewer and therapist. "I'm just happy to be a part of it because I love working with children."

Carly Burgess, daughter of the center's Executive Director Maryann Burgess, said that her mother has taken the Child Advocacy Center "above and beyond."

"I know these kids are getting the resources that they need ... I see them walking out of there with smiles on their faces," said Burgess about her experience working at the center. She added that Boot Scootin' is "an overall great event, and it's for a very good cause."