ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Pop star Alicia Keys is available for coffee ... are you? Don't miss your chance to spend time with her and many other celebrity entertainers being auctioned off to the highest bidder during the fourth annual Lunch With A Leader(TM) online celebrity auction. The auction, which begins February 10 on eBay, will benefit Communities In Schools, the nation's largest dropout prevention organization.

"It is very reassuring to know that we can rely upon our friends in the entertainment industry to assist us in our mission of keeping kids in school," says Bill Milliken, founder and vice chairman, Communities In Schools. "The dropout issue has become a large problem in the United States and these leaders are helping make a difference in children's lives."

Through Lunch With A Leader, dozens of celebrities donate an hour of their time to be auctioned off to the highest bidder on eBay. The high bidder wins a memorable lunch or a great piece of memorabilia, and the proceeds benefit the work of Communities In Schools. Memorabilia includes OGIO backpacks autographed by action sports stars and a basketball autographed by Earvin "Magic" Johnson; book lovers can bid on one of two autographed copies of The Modern Girl's Guide to Life by best-selling author Jane Buckingham, or a signed copy of Lu and the Swamp Ghost by political consultant and CNN commentator James Carville.

Entertainment icon Patti LaBelle joins Alicia Keys and actress Jenna Elfman on the auction block along with Frankie Faison, celebrated movie and television star from HBO's "The Wire" and Kevin Eubanks, music director for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

For those aspiring entertainers, why not dine with hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons or other entertainment executives, including Motion Picture Association of America Chairman and CEO Dan Glickman, Ron Meyer, president and COO of Universal Studios, or Creative Artists Agency President Richard Lovett.

In addition to some of the biggest names in entertainment, NASCAR legend Richard Petty and Starbucks president and CEO Jim Donald have joined such personalities as James Carville, Sam Donaldson, Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, ABC political correspondent George Stephanopoulos, Heisman Trophy- winning quarterback Matt Leinart and dozens of others in support of Communities In Schools. The auction begins on February 10 and ends February 20.

Sponsors of this year's Lunch With A Leader include: ICAP(R), Cox Communications, Bloomberg, Capital One Financial Corporation, UBS, Comcast Corporation, CVS/pharmacy, PT Research, Inc., Fannie Mae Foundation and The Washington Times.

Founded in 1977, Communities In Schools is headquartered in Alexandria, Va. Today, nearly one million young people every year receive direct services through more than 200 Communities In Schools affiliates in 28 states. For two years in a row, Worth magazine named Communities In Schools one of the 100 top nonprofits in America.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

CONTACT: Deborah Veney Robinson of Communities In Schools,
+1-703-518-2545, or +1-703-615-5476, robinsond@cisnet.org

Web site: http://www.cisnet.org/
http://www.lunchwithaleader.org/