Portuguese American club marks 25 years

Palm Coast Observer
Neighbors

On wall-to-wall tables Saturday, Nov. 10, food was never ending at the Portuguese American Cultural Center’s celebration of its 25th anniversary. The traditional meal included three plates of appetizers, followed by soup, then salad and finally a main meal, all served family style. The two-hour meal ended with the cutting of a cake and several deserts made my club members.

“One of the things we want to do here is maintain our Portuguese culture,” said Tony Amaral, co-founder and president of the club.

The cultural center was the brainchild of Amaral and five other men — Armando Henriques, Jose Almeida, Joe Portal, Ramiro Aguiar and Manuel Martins — who joined together in 1987 to establish the club.

After moving around to several locations in Palm Coast, the group was able to purchase land in 2000. They started building in 2002 and by 2004 opened the doors to the official center.

“The Portuguese community really was not recognized in the community until we had a building,” Amaral said.

At the celebration, three volunteers were recognized for their service: Lena Esteves, Dino Perrira and Sofia Dos Santos. Dos Santos, 21, has been part of the club since she was 14. Amaral said that as a youth, she is a symbol of the Portuguese community.

“We want to keep our tradition, our dances, our food,” Amaral said. “We want our kids to continue our traditions.”