PITTSBURG -- Soccer games, a horse show, music and dancing are among the activities that will take place at a joint fundraising event Aug. 19 co-sponsored by the Rotary Club of Pittsburg and Club Yahualica.

The event will raise money for Rotary Club youth literacy and scholarship programs in Pittsburg and humanitarian initiatives supported by Club Yahualica to benefit the Mexican city that is its namesake and one of Pittsburg's sister cities.

"Every month we receive petitions, all the way from school grants to help and (medical) emergency operations," said Ruben Esqueda, president of Club Yahualica. "It's always good to have a fund for emergencies."

Club Yahualica also plans to use some of the money raised from the event to help acquire a fire engine for Yahualica, a city of about 38,000 residents located in the state of Jalisco. Club Yahualica is hoping to obtain a surplus fire engine that would then be taken there.

The Rotary Club will use the funds raised during the event to support high school and college scholarships, literacy and dictionary programs in Pittsburg.

"We give a hard bound dictionary to every third grader in both public and private schools in our city each fall," Mike Stoiber, fundraising chair for the Rotary Club, said an email.

Proceeds will also be used to support the RotaCare Pittsburg Free Medical Clinic at St. Vincent DePaul.

The upcoming event is the first time that the two clubs have

"I think this year we can grow the festival to be something very significant and amazing," Esqueda said.

Immigrants from Yahualica began arriving in Pittsburg in the 1930s and 1940s.

Many Pittsburg residents, including Esqueda, can trace their roots to Yahualica.

The 31-year-old software engineer was born in Yahualica and arrived in Pittsburg with his parents when he was 2 years old.

Club Yahualica formed in 2008, a year before Pittsburg and Yahualica became sister cities.

"The ties to Yahualica made it a strong reason to make it a sister city," Esqueda said.

Contact Eve Mitchell at 925-779-7189. Follow her on Twitter.com/EastCounty_Girl.