For those of you who don’t know who I am, my name is Mario Rodriguez. I run some of the Friday night dances, have attend 9 previous Banquet and Balls going all the way back to the Sterling Ball, and am the lead organizer of this year’s Ball, succeeding Leah.
When I was 17 I had no idea of who I wanted to be or where I wanted to go in life. All I knew was I didn’t want to be like any man I knew, or any man who I was told was a role model. The men up to that point who were actually a part of my life were men who had no chests, spines, or awareness of their household. Men who thought the epitome of a good life was to work a job, play games with their friends, and surrender the running of their lives and households to their wife. Wives who resented their husbands for allowing themselves to be castrated by them. Sure, they talked a good game, and their families were provided for, but the respect that I was told should be there was very much absent.
When I attended my first Banquet and Ball, I expected it to be just another dance with everyone dressed a bit nicer. I was so very wrong. I experienced honor I had never received from anyone else in my life. I fought with men who drew blood for the honor of agonizing over a dance card for 30+ hours. I saw for the first time what an honorable woman of God could look like. It changed my perspective on what the kingdom of God looked like, and more importantly introduced me to the idea that evil was not something to be endured or run away from. Evil was something that not only can be fought, but something that was already defeated.
All I had to do was be brave enough to stop running from the shadows on the wall and be brave enough to face the fire.
Since then, I have been honored to join the Banquet and Ball tradition, and am especially honored to head a select team of individuals who have either run successful Balls themselves or have led major sections of the previous Balls to great success. Zach Stambaugh, David Voris, Skyler Young, Andrea Stambaugh, Bethany Voris, and myself have been working since February to build off of the framework given to us by the previous team, and we are grateful for the hard work and framework left to us by Leah, as well as by the twelve teams who bravely went forward to build our Grand Tradition.
In an effort to ensure the event’s accessibility, we have introduced a revised pricing model. Although it reflects an increase from previous years, it is significantly lower than our initial projections and remains competitive within the event landscape. Our commitment to maintaining affordability is unwavering, with costs remaining below a third of what a comparable three-day event typically demands.
Central to our goal of accessibility is our sponsorship and volunteer goal. We are actively pursuing sponsorships and scholarships to support first-time attendees, thereby extending the opportunity to attend the Ball to a broader audience. Additionally, arrangements are being made to provide childcare services, accommodating attendees with familial responsibilities. Finally, we have many friends who travel national and internationally to attend. This year we are taking charge to arrange accommodations to those who need or want it.
We invite you to join us for what is rapidly becoming the grandest event in our history. This year the Revalesco Ball rises to give testament to the ability to grow well again, and change your story. It changed mine, and if you are brave enough it could change yours. Stay tuned for further updates as we approach the event date.
The Revalesco Ball:
December 29, 2024-January 1, 2025
Warm regards,
Mario Rodriguez
Organizer, Revalesco Ball