Familiar local faces will be turning out in costume to serve thepublic and support the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League nextTuesday.

BARL’s fourth annual Celebrity Dinner and Silent Auction will beheld Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Country Fisherman, with proceedsgoing to assist the animal rescue league. Funds raised will be usedto assist in providing shelter, food and medical expenses forhomeless animals until they can be adopted into new homes.

JoAnna Sproles, chairwoman of Brookhaven Little Theatre’s Boardof Directors, will emcee the event this year. She said attendeescan count on her to keep things running smoothly.

“I’m going to keep the night moving along and hopefully offerbits and pieces of humor and talk about what the rescue leaguedoes,” she said. “But I promise I will not push my singing anddancing on folks while they try to eat.”

Sproles said she could not make that promise on behalf of theother celebrity waiters and waitresses.

“Apparently they encourage the waiters and waitresses to performand offer live entertainment, and they encourage you to wearcostumes,” she said. “Traditionally they step up, and we had somepeople who sang and played the guitar last year. It’s alwaysinteresting how the entertainment unfolds.”

BARL’s Rusty Adcock said sometimes the most fun part of thedinner is watching people really get into their performances.

“A couple of years ago Laverne Hardin from Trustmark dressed upas a character from the Broadway play ‘Hairspray’ and performed’Big, Blonde, and Beautiful,'” he said. “That was a riot.”

This year’s well-known servers include Lincoln County SheriffSteve Rushing, Dr. Bob Watson, Dr. Mike Gowan, Dave Pace, StateRepresentative-elect Becky Currie, Dr. Kim Sessums, songwriterGerard Faucheux and Circuit Clerk Terry Lynn Watkins.

“It’ll be interesting to see who does what,” Sproles said.”Sometimes you think you know people and you’re really surprised atwhat they can do. There are some hidden talents and some surprises,and most coming from the waiters.”

Adcock said the waiters are chosen by a panel of volunteers wholook for people who are not only well-known, but who support therescue league.

“Volunteers that plan the event look for options who are in thepopular eye and who are known in the city, but also people that arefriends to the Rescue League that might be funny and willing toparticipate,” he said. “We want this to be a fun event thateveryone will enjoy.”

Last year, Faucheux performed a song about BARL that he put tothe music of the Village People’s popular hit “YMCA,” and Adcocksaid he’s done his homework again this year.

“This year he’s got a Rescue League Blues song that he’s goingto perform for us,” Adcock said.

There will also be a silent auction at the dinner featuring giftitems donated from individuals and businesses in the area. TheCelebrity Dinner and Silent Auction are the main fundraising eventsfor the non-profit, no-kill, volunteer based animal welfaregroup.

Adcock said there are around 47 tickets left that can bepurchased in advance or at the door, and are currently available atthe Country Fisherman Restaurant.