Saturday night, August 17, 2024, was an evening for fellowship, food, fun, and fundraising. Esther's Place, a local nonprofit that helps women in need in Bulloch County, hosted its third annual Esther's Night Out Barn Dance fundraiser from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. This is the biggest fundraiser for the organization and loads of fun for guests.
Held at the Pine Needle Plantation, an impressive 7,000 square foot venue between Bulloch and Candler counties, guests dined, mingled, danced and bid on silent auction items donated by over 60 local businesses. Over 25 sponsors contributed to the fundraiser, making it the most successful and beneficial event for Esther's Place.
On Thursday nights leading up to the Barn Dance, Esther's Place offered fun and free line dancing lessons at Connection Church to get attendees ready to cut a rug, Western-style.
On the night of the event, guests arrived in cowboy hats, vests, and boots ready to show off their newly-acquired dance moves. Madison Leigh Photography captured memories as attendees laughed, chatted, and danced the night away.
Esther's Place, co-founded by friends Lori Brent and Tanya Wright, serves women in need in Statesboro and surrounding areas. They provide clothing, shoes, accessories, hygiene products, and haircuts for women and their children. Most recently, they opened their doors for victims of Hurricane Debby, offering showers for those who were adversely affected by the storm.
Brent and Wright told us earlier this year that they remain in solidarity about their purpose.
"The biggest thing for us," Wright says, "is sharing the love of Jesus and empowering women to feel good, to feel loved."
"There's no judgment here. It doesn't matter; we all have a story. Some are better and some are worse, but we all have a story," Brent says of the women Esther's Place serves. "We just love them right where they're at."
For more information about Esther's Place, or to donate items or services, please visit their website or call 912-225-6583.
