Kiwanis Club flips for flapjacks

While most people were still snug in their beds sleeping off their St. Patrick’s Day celebration, the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key was awake and warming up some griddles.

The Kiwanis Club hosted its annual pancake breakfast on March 18 at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church.

Fifteen club volunteers gathered at 6 a.m., before the sun was even up, and began cooking and preparing the food. Over the course of four hours, President Steve Branham estimates that the club made more than 1,000 pancakes. Breakfast attendees also enjoyed sausage links, coffee and juice.

The breakfast is the club’s second biggest fundraiser following the Gourmet Lawn Party with all proceeds benefiting the club’s grant and scholarship fund. Last year, the breakfast raised around $3,000 and Branham said the club hopes to do the same this year.

As hungry customers arrived they were greeted warmly by Kiwanis members who were eager to fill empty plates with stacks of pancakes. Branham said the breakfast is kind of like a cross section of all the people of Longboat Key. The breakfast draws a big crowd, young and old.

“It’s like a little gathering of people in town,” he said.