A mother/son and father/daughter banquet will be held at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church to raise funds to help students make college visits.

“All the proceeds go toward our college road trip to Washington, D.C., this summer,”

Youth Advisor Latasha Manning said. “Every year we take high school students to tour various colleges.”

Last year the group went to Atlanta and the year before the group went to Huntsville.

“This is an ongoing effort to let (youth) know there is more out there after high school,” Manning said. “We want to encourage higher learning with our youth, and we want to extend the invitation to other churches.”

The banquet will be an opportunity for families to come together and enjoy a Christian band and have youth gain some wisdom from city officials, Manning said. There may also be a speaker from the State Department of Education.

Tickets are $10 per person and the event will be on Saturday, March 31 from 5-7 p.m. The location has yet to be determined.

“The average cost (of the trip) is going up,” Manning said. “The first year when we went to Huntsville, I think it was free of charge. Last year it was $60 for the fare to Atlanta, a one night stay in a hotel and it also included the breakfast and the admission to the CNN Center.”

The trip to D.C. will cost an average of $200 per student, so Manning is helping plan fundraisers to bring that average cost down to approximately $50 or $100.

Along with college visits, the groups of about 30 students will travel to historical landmarks and see sites in the cities.

“Each year we try to go farther and farther,” Manning said. “We also try to do a historical site and we try to broaden it more and more.”

The trip is open to all students in the county. The trip organizers would prefer students in grades 9-12.

“It’s important that the community comes together to support our youth,” Manning said. “They are our future and we want to encourage the community to come out and support them, and (the banquet) is going to strengthen the family life.”