ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Children Awaiting Parents will host “Home, Heart, and Harmony: A Forever Home for the Holidays” this Saturday, November 30 at the Floreano Riverside Convention Center in Rochester.

The fundraiser is the centerpiece for National Adoption Month. The evening begins at six o’clock and tickets are still available.

Children Awaiting Parents Executive Director Lauri McKnight and Jimmie Highsmith, Jr., who will perform at the gala, discussed the event Tuesday during News 8 at Sunrise.

“Children Awaiting Parents is an agency that works hard to find families for children – permanent families, forever families – for children who are waiting the longest in foster care,” explained McKnight. “This is our biggest fundraiser, and we are working towards raising funds to assist helping those children get out of the foster care system and find that forever family. At this time, there’s about 25,000 children in New York state who are in foster care. Three thousand of those children have a goal of adoption, just in our state. So this fundraiser is crucial for us to be able to continue supporting families, finding those forever families for those children and continuing our service and support.”

Highsmith, Jr. offered up a sampling of his musical talent and what attendees will hear this Saturday. “This is called an Electronic Wind Instrument,” he said. “I guess to make it an easy explanation of it, it would be if my saxophone married a synthesizer and made a baby, this would be it.”

Highsmith, Jr. is planning a mixture of music for the event – some original music, some covers, and smooth jazz. He’ll take the stage at 9:00 p.m. Gap Mangione will also perform during the dinner hour. “It’s going to be a jazz club-like atmosphere,” said McKnight. “And we’ll have some great stuff to show the attendees about our families.”

To get your tickets and for more information visit the Children Awaiting Parents website.