Commemorating a bittersweet moment when demolition begins on Pioneer High School's Performing Arts Center, members past and present of the school's stage will gather together for a "Wrecking Ball."

"It's a combination of fun and fundraiser," said Leslie Hanlon, Wrecking Ball organizer.

Commonly known as the "PAC" around campus, the school's stage that doubles as a cafeteria was destroyed in a fire more than a year ago. Rebuilding the PAC will be paid for by a combination of insurance money and funds from the San Jose Unified School District's site improvement bond, Measure F.

The result will be a slightly larger facility with a few bells and whistles that the center didn't have before.

But the whistles heard on Feb. 12 may be tongue-in-cheek catcalls from those dressed as construction workers--a suggested attire for invitees.

Money raised from this event, and other events such as last week's "Sticky Buns" production of The Odd Couple, goes toward keeping production rolling.

Hanlon and Steve Dini, the school's drama director, said they hope people who have played a part in the school's theater department, including parents who volunteer their time for the Glue Factory--the "parent" group to Sticky Buns, and a group of parents who produce plays to help raise funds for the department--will come to the party bid adieu to the burned stage and welcome the new one.

"It will be like a goodbye to the old PAC, and celebrating that we're going to have fresh new one and hopefully new memories to future students," Hanlon said.

Starbucks donated coffee for the event, a couple of local restaurants and some parents are donating desserts, but Hanlon said they're still hoping for more donations for the evening, which will include music, dancing, entertainment, prizes and a silent auction.

"For the silent auction, we have a Starbucks basket, and Hoover Theater donated tickets for a couple of shows at the Flint Center," she said.

Five dollars will buy a more personal touch of the PAC.

"We busted up the old stage and took the curtain down, and one of the moms made bags out of the curtain. They'll be putting in the bags a piece of the stage," Dini said.

Other goodies not necessarily in bags but available for purchase include French doors used on the set of Mousetrap, the last production held on the stage before it went up in flames, scripts used over the years that were found in the sound booth and some old props, too.

The Wrecking Ball will be held outside the PAC at Pioneer High School on February 12 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.