Enjoy live music, fine dining and the scenic backdrop of the La Verne foothills at the annual Hafif Concerts Under the Stars series. All proceeds will benefit Cal Poly Pomona’s Partners in Education.

These charitable concerts will be held Saturday evenings on July 24, 31 and Aug. 7 at the Hafif Estate in La Verne.

“This is a great opportunity to gather with friends and family for a wonderful evening of great music, excellent food and a lovely atmosphere in a private estate,” says Peggy Kelly, dean of the College of Education & Integrative Studies. “Mr. Hafif and his family generously sponsor these concerts to benefit many charitable organizations. Supporting our next generation of excellent teachers is a great way to spend a summer evening.”

Partners in Education (PIE) promotes collaborations among schools, families and communities to improve public education. Among its activities, PIE provides scholarships to teacher candidates during their student teaching experience. Completing this phase of the program can become a hardship for teacher candidates because they need to either quit their daytime job or work at night in order to devote two full-time quarters in the classroom.

The July 24 concert will showcase dance music from the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s from the band Smooth Touch. The July 31 concert will feature Susie Hansen’s fiery Latin and salsa music, which brings audiences to their feet. On Aug. 7, Jason Taylor and Chance Nation will perform R&B and Top 40 hits.

All concerts start at 5:30 p.m. Tickets, which are $55, include dinner catered by Walter’s of Claremont. $35 of the ticket price is tax deductible. For more information, contact Nicole Forrest Boggs at (909) 869-4450 or forrestboggs@cpp.edu.