The Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society is throwing its biggest fundraiser of the year on Sept. 19, and tickets are on sale for neighbors who want to spend an evening helping local cats while bidding on auction items and eating well.

The 26th annual Fur Ball Gala and Auction runs from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at Andover Country Club, 60 Canterbury St. The evening includes live and silent auctions, raffles and food, according to the Andover Townsman.

This year's gala mascot is a cat named Zoe, featured on the organization's social media pages in the weeks leading up to the event.

MRFRS, led by Executive Director Erin Watson, was founded in 1992 in response to the homeless cat population across northeastern Massachusetts. In 34 years the nonprofit has assisted more than 130,000 cats and kittens, according to its organizational profile on Chewy's shelter network. Its volunteers pioneered a trap-neuter-return program that became a model of success, and the group opened a cageless adoption center in 2003.

Proceeds from the Fur Ball fund shelter and adoption services, spay/neuter initiatives and veterinary care for cats in need, the organization said in a Facebook post announcing the event. Board President Gail A. Lynch, who joined the board in 2016 with more than 25 years of development experience, and Development Director Karen Glass round out the leadership team steering the gala.

The organization described the event as a celebration of its 34 years of saving lives in an Aug. 14 Facebook announcement that tickets were available. MRFRS reaches more than 15,000 Facebook followers and 21,000 email and newsletter contacts, according to its sponsorship materials.

Questions can be directed to [email protected].