More than 4,000 pancakes. That’s a lot of flapjacks.
And that’s how many Kim Norton, co-chair of the 78th annual Lions Club Pancake Breakfast, expects will be served during the club’s two sessions Feb. 20.
The event, held at the First United Methodist Church in Galesburg, is the club’s largest fundraiser each year and generally brings in $5,000 to $9,000, depending on the crowd, Norton said. The money supports a variety of local causes, including eyeglasses and hearing aids for residents in need, contributions to the Fish Food Pantry and sensory rooms in Galesburg District 205 junior high schools.
“We benefit both eyeglasses and hearing aids,” she said. “We also help combat food insecurity through the Fish Food Pantry. We use it for other community projects; we help District 205 with some of their sensory rooms for their junior high kids.
“We also support diabetes awareness and environmental projects such as park cleanups. So, we’re just throughout the community helping where we see a need.”
Norton said the event generally draws between 700 and 900 people across its 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. shifts.
“And then with the generosity of our sponsors, it’s just great because they help fund this so that all of our costs and all of our money that we raise don’t go to food costs because obviously those continue to go up every year,” she said.
The Lions Club has about 80 members, and 60% to 70% of members are able to volunteer for at least a portion of the shifts.
“We love to see when people come out from the community as people that you don’t get to see every time,” Norton said. “We’ll see retired police chiefs and fire chiefs and mayors, and we see politicians and we see people coming from developmental disabilities group homes. So, it’s super fun to be able to see the community at an event like this.”
