Kiwanis holds 12-hour pancake fundraiser

By BRYAN HELLIOS

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Ironwood - A steady stream of people filed into Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant's banquet room on Monday for the annual Kiwanis Pancake Day fundraiser.

Kiwanis member, and chairman for this year's Pancake Day, Bernie Hibblen said historical data from previous years was used to predict the group would be needing enough supplies to make 500 to 600 breakfasts.

"This is our biggest fundraiser," he said.

Hibblen said money raised by the club helps many different causes.

"Children's Trust Fund, Coats for Kids," he said, pointing to the place mats which listed recipients receiving assistance from Kiwanis. "They are all important, but some really stand out."

Bessemer high school junior Adam Mazurek worked at the event and was joined by a few other students who also belonged to a "junior Kiwanis" organization called Key Club.

"We do a lot of volunteering and joint activities with the Kiwanis," he said.

Mazurek has been involved with Key Club since ninth grade and said he enjoys pancake feeds because people are happy about being served "good food."

"It's so worth it to see the smiles on people's faces just when your giving back," he said. "It's very rewarding in that way."

Mazurek plans on going to college, but said he has not decided on a major yet.

He said belonging in the Key Club can help with qualifying for scholarships and entering the National Honor Society.

"It's also just good to give back to the community," he said.

Michael Pope, Gogebic County circuit court judge said events like this are good for the community.

"We do it every year - we don't miss it - it's an annual thing," he said, while buttering his blueberry pancakes.

He recalled a pancake feed a few years back where he was inspired to incorporate a "pancake caper" into a mock trial for a third grade class.

"Someone ate the pancakes and we had to figure out who did it," he said.

"We had witnesses, we had jurors, it was quite the gig," he added, cutting a slice from his stack of pancakes.

According to the group's international website, Kiwanians are "dedicated to improving the lives of children one community at a time."