A former U.S. President and the first lady of southern cuisine will join others in bringing awareness to the importance of cancer screening next month when they are guests at a special fundraising event hosted by the Cancer Coalition of South Georgia.

Plains For Supper — A Night To Fight Cancer With Special Guests President Jimmy Carter and Paula Deen will be held Saturday, Aug. 25, in Plains. Only 150 tickets will be sold for the event that will include supper, live music, talks by Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter and Deen, and a live auction of premier items. All proceeds will benefit the Cancer Coalition’s Community Cancer Screening Program, which provides free cancer screening to uninsured and under-insured individuals in south Georgia.

When not travelling internationally and working on behalf of The Carter Center in Atlanta, the former President and his wife Rosalynn maintain a residence in Plains, and Deen, an American cook, cooking show host, restaurateur, author, actress and Emmy Award-winning television personality, is a native of Albany and now makes her home in Savannah.

"We are thrilled that President Carter and Paula have agreed to join us for the evening," said Susan Greene, Cancer Coalition volunteer and event chair. "Everyone in some way has been affected by cancer, be it with a family member, friend, neighbor, or even themselves. This is an opportunity for us to bring more awareness to the need for cancer screenings, and, through the money we raise, to help provide more south Georgians with the vital cancer screenings they need to help prevent cancer and to find it early.

According to Greene, the event will be from 6 -9 p.m. at the Plains Community Center. Music will be provided by Phoebe Putney oncologist Dr. Jose Tongol and his band, JT Yoyos Playing For A Cause. Supper will be served in the center and courtyard, followed by testimonies from the Carters and Deen of how cancer has touched their lives. A live auction will feature special autographed and one-of-a-kind items.

Tickets are $150 each and may be purchased online at www.sgacancer.org. No tickets will be sold at the door. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.

"We are especially grateful to our wonderful sponsors who are helping make this evening possible," added Greene.

Sponsors are Flint Equipment Company; OB-GYN Associates, Family Medical Associates, Children’s Medical Associates, and Endocrinology Associates at The Veranda, P.C.; McCleskey Mills; Gray Distribution Services Inc.; Mr. and Mrs. Lemuel V. Griffin; R.E. McLendon Farms LLC; Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital; Phoebe Sumter Medical Center; Albany Beverage Co.; United Distributors Inc.; Gillespie Printers; Plains Inn & Antiques; Plains Peanuts; and Leon Holloway/Cousins Catering.

Started in 2002, the Cancer Coalition of South Georgia is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to lessen the effects of cancer in south Georgia through cancer research, outreach, screening, and education. In 2011, the organization’s cornerstone Community Cancer Screening Program served, in collaboration with clinical partners, 746 uninsured and under-insured men and women in 24 south Georgia counties with free cancer screening. Of those screened, 126 individuals receiving colonoscopies had high-risk polyps removed; one abnormal mammogram was reported; nine prostate cancer screenings were abnormal; and two cervical cancer screenings had abnormal results.

Unlike national organizations, programs provided by and donations to the Cancer Coalition exclusively serve the people of south Georgia. For more information, visit www.sgacancer.org