Every nine seconds of each school day, a young person drops out of high school in the U.S., and nearly one-third fail to graduate on time. For the past 26 years, Communities In Schools of Miami (CIS of Miami) has been a driving force in collaborating with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to improve educational outcomes for Miami students.

CIS of Miami’s largest fundraiser is its annual gala, and this year’s event on Saturday, May 2nd, will commemorate CIS of Miami’s 26 years of service. The theme of the 2015 gala is “Over The Rainbow: Where Dreams Come True,” which pays tribute to the successful journeys more than 20,000 students have taken toward their future.

The event takes place in the Chopin Ballroom at the Intercontinental Miami Hotel overlooking downtown Miami’s skyline and Biscayne Bay. The evening starts with a sunset cocktail hour where supporters can bid on luxury, silent auction items including vacation packages, jewelry, restaurant gift certificates, spa treatments and more.

A three-course dinner will follow accompanied by live music and entertainment by CIS of Miami students.

Tickets for the annual philanthropic event are $200 each, and all proceeds directly benefit CIS of Miami. In 2014, CIS’ gala raised more than $100,000 to fund dropout prevention programs including tutoring, mentoring and financial literacy to children in grades k-12.

Tickets can be purchased online at cismiami.org or by calling 305-252-5444.