A.J. Pardo Memorial Ball is Saturday

Proceeds go to scholarships for St. Anne’s Youth Group

A memorial ball will be held Saturday, Feb.10 to raise money for a scholarship fund in memory of one of Porterville’s fallen soldiers — U.S. Army Spc. Jose Pardo, a 2009 Granite Hills High School graduate.

Pardo was killed with five other soldiers on July 8, 2012 when his squad was hit by a roadside explosion in Afghanistan.

The fifth annual A.J. Pardo Memorial Ball will be held at the Veterans Memorial Building at 1900 W. Olive Ave. in Porterville.

The festive semi-formal ball begins with a no-host bar at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and a dance featuring a disc jockey at 8 p.m. The theme this year is “Fiesta de Amor.”

Tickets cost $60 each, and all proceeds pay for scholarships for the St. Anne’s Youth Group, of which Pardo was a member.

The fund was established by Pardo’s mother, Kate Pardo.

Pardo was raised in the Porterville area and was an active member of the St. Anne Parish Youth Ministry program, as well as an active servant of the community, often serving as a minister of the Eucharist, an altar server and lector.

Table sponsorships are also sought. The donation will be publicly acknowledged at the event through promotional announcements, fliers and prominent table notes.

For Memorial Ball tickets or for more information, call Maurice Tenorio at 361-7273 or visit online www.ajpardomemorial.com.