Jenny McDade, director of Douglas County Juvenile Programs, has been honored with an award for 10 years of volunteer service to Children’s Voice CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Inc.

McDade founded the CASA program in 1999 to provide volunteers to advocate for interests of abused and neglected children involved in juvenile court deprivation proceedings.

“CASAs operate in all 49 judicial districts to make sure children’s needs are getting met,” McDade said. “They make sure that judges are aware of children’s needs from an independent point of view.”

Children’s Voice CASA has three employees, two full-time and one part-time. Dawn West is the organization’s executive director.

While some CASA programs are paid for by court systems, the Douglas County CASA is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, dependent on grants, donations and fundraisers for its operation.

“For the last three years, we’ve held a celebrity golf tournament to raise funds for CASA,” McDade said. “This year, the Atlanta Celebrity AM Charity Classic will be held Oct. 24-25 at the Lion Golf Club in Bremen.”

Each year, the event has brought in numerous celebrities from the entertainment and sports world. Listed on this year’s program as possible participants are Kevin Costner, Bill Murray, Dennis Quaid, Cheech Marin, Catherine Bell and Kevin Sorbo.

Spectator tickets for the event sell for $25 each, with $20 going to CASA. Volunteer tickets are also available for $40, with buyers receiving a golf shirt and hat for use in their volunteer assignment. CASA receives 100 percent of volunteer ticket sales.

Next Friday, July 24, celebrity Kaya Jones, formerly of Pussycat Doll, will be at Gumbeaux’s on Broad Street in Douglasville to sign tickets. The signed tickets will be entered on event day into a prize drawing for a free vacation.

Tickets and information is available from Dawn West, 770-577-7228, e-mail dwest@co.douglas.ga.us or Jennifer King, 770-920-7121, e-mail jking@co.douglas.ga.us.