Potters in clay country are spinning up their wheels and firing kilns this weekend to welcome visitors at a Pottery Country tour.

They are getting ready for a "Behind the Scenes Pottery Tour"- the first ever Northern Moore Family Resource Center benefit Sunday. It's hoped it will become an annual event. The deal , which starts at $45 for the day, includes transportation and a piece of pottery.

"Enjoy delicious appetizers and wine at each pottery and have dessert and coffee at our main gathering place," said Clare Ruggles, executive director of the center. "Learn from the potters what makes their work unique. We will have shuttle service available to and from our gathering place to potteries."

The Northern Moore Family Resource Center is in the middle of downtown Robbins at 130 S. Middleton St. Since its beginning 15 years years ago. the center has worked to help area residents find ways to climb out of economic devastation caused when one employer after another closed doors and left former employees looking for work.

The center assists residents who need to learn English as a second language, teams with the town and educational institutions, provides job counseling and other services for people in need. The organization was established in 1996, and has been serving children and families ever since. It is an agency of the United Way of Moore County.

One center program coming up is a six-week free summer day camp, which is partially funded by the United Way. The center says it has determined that more than 90 percent of children attending Robbins Elementary School live in poverty, based on the number who qualify for reduced or free lunch at the school. Fewer than half read at grade level and so are at much greater risk of dropping out of school before graduating from high school according to the center.

"High school dropouts are far more likely to be dependent on taxpayer dollars (either through social programs or incarceration) than their peers who graduate," the center says. "The most important thing that we can do for children living in poverty is to provide them with the support they need to succeed academically - support they often do not receive at home. Our society, as a whole, benefits from educating all of our children to be successful in life."

The pottery tour offers an enjoyable way to help this center help the children and families it serves. All donations are tax deductible.

The cost of taking part in the "Behind the Scenes Pottery Tour" starts at $45 for an individual ticket, with a commemorative piece of pottery included in the price. There are higher levels of donation for the more generous: $100 for Patrons, $1,000 to $2,499 for Sponsors, $2,500 to $4,999 for "benefactors" and $5,000 and up for Underwriters.

"We welcome sponsors, benefactors and underwriters for this event," Ruggles said. "Northern Moore Family Resource Center is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Our mission is to encourage the development of strong families, healthy children, and caring communities by matching resources with needs in the northern Moore County area."

From the Ground Up potter Michael Mahan will be crafting platters that feature elegant trees. At "Dean and Martin Pottery" potters Stephanie Martin and Jeff Dean will show guests how they hand build unique boxes and tableware.

At "Luck's Ware," fifth-generation potter Sid Luck will be throwing pots in his family's traditional style. His family has always fired their wares in a wood-burning groundhog kiln, and that kiln will be firing for this event.

Bulldog Pottery potter Samantha Henneke and Bruce Gholson will be demonstrating the glazing techniques they use to create their vibrant collection. At Seagrove Stoneware potter David Fernandez will have all three of his wheels on the floor of his gallery, so anybody on the tour can actually become a potter for a day.

"Turn your own pot with an expert," he says.

At Avery Pottery and Tileworks tour travelers will find potter Blaine Avery, who looks to early American folk art for inspiration. He will show how he creates his exclusive tile work.

Farther on, at his place, they will have a chance to study potter Will McCanless as he paints intricate designs free-hand using Chinese calligraphy brushes on delicate hand-turned plates.

All these potters have agreed to donate 15 percent of sales that day to the resource center.

More information about the center sponsorships and tickets is available from the center by telephone at (910) 948-4324.