The obligations of husband and wife are clear: love, honor, cherish and boogie!

Nobody takes these requirements more seriously than Larry and Cathy Hinton, Jeff and Severine Hutchins, Father John and Julie Tampa and Baxter and Taylor Clement. The four couples will dance the night away to benefit Communities In Schools of Moore County and Moore Buddies, the two major student mentoring programs in Moore County.

"Dancing with the Sandhills Stars" will take place at the Pine Needles Hospitality Center Saturday, Jan. 9. Each competing couple will gather votes leading up to the event with all proceeds benefiting the two local nonprofit mentoring programs.

The Hintons are lifetime residents of Moore County. They are now retired from the Department of Correction, where Larry worked for 30 years as a program supervisor, and Cathy worked for 34 years as director of nursing. Of all they do, held nearest and dearest to their hearts, and what they term most rewarding, is the time spent mentoring with children of Moore County through the Moore Buddies organization and volunteering in the Moore County school system. The busy retirees hope they can leave the competition behind on the dance floor.

The Hutchinses are not only accustomed to challenges, they search for them. Jeff says that Severine home schools their four children -- and him -- while he serves as chief executive officer of Penick Village. They have lived in Southern Pines for nine years and been married for 15 years. Active participants in Penick Village activities, they are also supportive of Meals on Wheels. While their hobbies and recreational activities revolve around chasing the children, to get ready for this event, they are moving all of the furniture against the walls and practicing every night until Jan. 9.

Father John Tampa is rector of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Southern Pines, and Julie works in the marketing department at Penick Village. When he can catch a few free hours, he enjoys playing golf and relaxing with yoga and pilates. Julie runs and enjoys fitness activities, reading and their grandchildren. Married 20 years, they moved to the area three years ago from Main Line Philadelphia, where John served in a 300-year-old historic church.

The Clements bring stage experience to the game, with Baxter known to some as a resident "rock star." Baxter got his musical training at the N.C. School of the Arts, Vanderbilt University and the Music Conservatory of Austria. This past summer, along with the Ronalters and Lisa Youngclaus, Baxter organized the Pinestock Music Festivals to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Sandhills. Taylor loves the theater, dancing and helping with various charities. Currently a member of Clement Capital Group, she is active in community activities including the Junior League, Boys and Girls Club and was recently appointed to the board of MIRA Foundation USA, an organization committed to providing dogs and services to blind children in North Carolina.

Communities In Schools (CIS) provides in-school one-on-one mentoring for at-risk students in Moore County. Moore Buddies uses mentoring as an intervention tool for youth who are at risk of not reaching their full potential for various reasons. Both organizations share the common goal of helping a child succeed through a relationship with a caring adult.

Other teams include District Attorney Maureen Krueger and Chief John Letteney, Dr. Susan Purser and Senator Harris Blake, Kristen Palmer and Rich Rushforth, Christopher Godfrey and Sherry Wood, Father John and Julie Tampa, Linda Pearson and Southern Pines Mayor Mike Haney, Patrick Coughlin and Patti Zoellner, Baxter and Taylor Clement, George and Wanda Little, Diana Turner-Forte and Stephen Later, Jeff and Severine Hutchins, Jack Nance and Roxanne Loepper, Ellen Pearsall and Charlie Jackson, Susie Leader and Nelson Neil, Dr. Jeff Kilpatrick and Juliet Eden Blanks, Larry and Cathy Hinton, Patrick McGowan and Cathy Smith, Ray Metzger and Karen Backall, Janeen Driscoll and Paul Harkness, Eve Avery and Jim Byrd.

To see profiles, photos and videos of all the dancers, purchase tickets and to cast a vote for a dancing couple, visit www.sandhillsstars.com.