The Portuguese American Social Club's latest fundraising effort -- a live concert on August 18 -- is raising awareness and funds for juvenile diabetes, a cause with a personal meaning for many of its members.

The president of the social club, Michael Santos, has a grandson with Type 1 diabetes, and the club all agreed that raising money for JDRF, which funds research into the disease, was a cause they wanted to support as part of their extensive charity work.

“Anytime somebody needs something, we try to help out,” Santos said.

Melissa Santos, Michael Santos’ daughter and mother to Mason, 5, who has Type 1 diabetes, said, “It’s a cause near and dear to our hearts.”

Many of those attending were wearing bright blue JDRF shirts, emblazoned across the back with “Mason’s Sidekicks.”

The event featured a performance by “Outta Kontrol” along with raffles, games of chance, food, and drinks. Admission cost $5, all of which goes directly to JDRF. The event raises about $2,000 each year.

The club does a lot of work for charities, including annual scholarships and donations to the Council on Aging and the Salvation Army.

The club has a long history in Dartmouth-- it was started in 1946. Michael Santos was the youngest member when he joined in 1972 at the age of 18.

“Everyone used to call me "The Kid," and now I’m an old-timer,” he laughed. When he became president, he made the decision to allow women to join the club, and his daughter was the first female member.

“I thought, women are Portuguese, too!” he said. Now, there are many women members of the social club.

The club plans to hold another JDRF fundraiser next year.