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Vol. 81, Number 23 Pancake Breakfast
Edition June 11, 2009 Editor:
John Shannon jms@mlsattorneys.com
SPECIAL PANCAKE
BREAKFAST EDITION
Pancake
Breakfast Timetable – Please everyone mark your
calendars for the Pancake Breakfast at the Austin Park Pavilion as follows:
6/19 Friday 8-10 AM to set up the grills and tables/chairs. Rotarians with
pick-ups and/or strong muscles report to David Lee’s barn on Pork St. at 8 AM.
On 6/20, Saturday at 8 AM we clean/test the grills and dress the tables. On
6/21, Sunday at 6:30AM-2PM, for the breakfast and cleanup. Then on 6/22, Monday
at 8-10 AM for breakdown and storage (pick-ups and
muscles again needed). This event only works if every Rotarian makes a full commitment! Also, we need
volunteers (family, friends, neighbors, etc.) so please recruit anyone and
every one you can and give the names to Robin for assignment.
Interesting
historical tidbits of the history of the Rotary Father’s Day Pancake Breakfast
The first Skaneateles
Rotary Club SRC) pancake breakfast was held in 1968 under the presidency of Jim
Messenger, who at that time was the manager of the Skaneateles Airport.
The breakfast, held in the hanger, featured a fly-in and in addition to
the local crowd, some 80 to 100 planes from around the East would come and go.
In 1977, the breakfast was moved to the larger
Austin Park Pavilion. In these early years the Rotary Club owned
virtually none of the equipment needed to put on the breakfast so that
everything from tables and chairs to grilles, mixers and pot/pans were borrowed
from almost every organization in the town, e.g., Churches, Grange, Masons,
Firehouse, etc. Apparently, many tall tales can be told about getting
this equipment to and from the breakfast including the 300 lb cast-iron mixer
from the Skaneateles Bakery that ended up on a Rotarian’s foot.
In those early days
when penny pinching was more the norm for a fundraiser like the breakfast, the
plastic “disposable” utensils used were recycled year to year after a thorough
dishwasher scouring up at the Cedar House Restaurant. The “gorgeous”
flower arrangements came from many a local garden including euonymus from the
wall of the Methodist church and the walls of the bank courtesy of By Lee.
Back then, there was even a tall tale of liquid
refreshment from the back room being included in the secret Rotary formula for
our pancakes. In fact, they were for a time known as beer batter pancakes.
Today our Father’s Day event has become something
extraordinary and a highlight of the spring in Skaneateles and the surrounding
communities. We expect to serve between 3,600 and 4,000 hungry breakfast
eaters. At our peak mid-morning time period we serve about 900 people per hour,
which equates to about one person served every 4 seconds. We typically serve
over 10,000 pancakes, 10,500 eggs, 600 pounds of
sausage and about 225 gallons of orange juice. Our “net proceeds” have been
between $9,000 and $10,500 depending on the weather, which is the key
determinant of total attendance. All of these funds go back into the
community to support many services and youth projects.
Robin Jowaisas