Billed as a fundraising event for Les Cheneaux Community Schools, “The Gala: A Chocolate Ball” will be held Les Cheneaux Community Center in Cedarville Saturday, March 13, at 5:30 p.m. Fund the Future, a campaign created to address the school's budget deficit, will host the gala for its second consecutive year. Tickets, at $50 apiece, may be purchased at the Les Cheneaux Community Schools office or U.P. State Credit Union by Friday, March 12.

For openers, guests will be treated to an array of chocolate desserts, fruit, and drinks during a social hour. Dinner, which will be catered by Karl's Cuisine of Sault Ste. Marie, is slated for 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by a silent auction, dancing, and recorded musical entertainment by “The Dance Commander” of Cedarville .

“People need to understand they're going to get something back,” said Brianna Freel, who is helping to plan the event. “It's for a good cause, and it's all about the kids.”

Proceeds will help establish a school store in the high school cafe- teria, which will generate revenue for the school.

Cedarville students who participate in extracurricular activities need somewhere in the school to buy snacks, Mrs. Freel said, and the school store will provide a solution.

“The school store would provide healthy snacks for kids during lunchtime and after school, so they wouldn't have to leave school grounds to eat,” she said. “ The kids get money out of this directly and will, hopefully, eat more healthy” foods.

The store is part of a larger strategy to generate money for the school. Proceeds from the school store would be channeled into programs with the most urgent needs. Mrs. Freel said Cedarville's athletic programs and band, currently funded by the booster club, are expected to require additional funding.

Fund the Future expects a big turnout Saturday night.

“Between the desserts that are going to be there, and the dinner from Karl's Cuisine... it's going to be an excellent night,” she said. Last year, 144 guests attended.