Branches’ 2026 Black Tie & Blue Jeans Gala

On Saturday, May 2, 2026, a sold-out crowd stepped into an enchanted forest at Branches’ Black Tie & Blue Jeans Gala at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami. It was a magical evening that brought our community together, and generosity truly bloomed.

Thanks to the extraordinary support of our sponsors, donors, and partners, Branches celebrated a historic milestone: our first-ever Million Dollar Gala, raising $1.08 million, the highest total in our history. We are deeply grateful to everyone who made this achievement possible.

As our largest annual fundraiser, the Gala supports life-changing programs serving more than 15,000 individuals each year, from after-school enrichment, tutoring, and college preparation for over 550 students, to financial coaching, microbusiness support, free tax preparation, emergency assistance, and holiday meal deliveries for thousands of families.

We were honored to have Trish and Dan Bell serve as our Philanthropic Chairs, and Leah and Phillip Sylvester as our Gala Chairs. We also proudly presented the Trish and Dan Bell Community Empowerment Award to Jose L. Dotres in recognition of his leadership and commitment to expanding opportunity for students and families across our community.