A tradition that began in the 1950s continued Tuesday night at the Brownwood Coliseum, as the Kiwanis Club of Brownwood held its 70th Pancake Supper.
An event that, over the years, has become synonymous with Election Night in November, the Pancake Supper is the single largest fundraiser for the Kiwanis Club annually.
“We always try and do this on Election Night and encourage people to go out and vote if they haven’t before they come in, or come by here after they vote and eat some pancakes and sausage,” said Kiwanis Club President Jesse Mendoza.
Volunteers helped prepare the meals for hours leading up the event. Boy Scouts assisted diners at their tables with any needs they required, and also transported batter to those stationed at the grills when needed; members of the Key Club filled drinks cups and assisted in preparing meals for the take-out lines; and members of the United UCrew helped prepare plates for diners to pick up from the serving tables.
Mendoza stated the Club sold approximately 1,000 tickets, at $10, in advance and the goal was to raise $35,000 this year.
“The money stays right here in our local community and we give it to a lot of the kid-related programs we support,” Mendoza said. Over the years, those organizations have included Boy Scouts Troops, the Boys and Girls Club of Brown County, Brown County Youth Fair, Brownwood Explorer Post, Builders Club, Brownwood Freshman Baseball, CASA and several more.
Regarding the milestone anniversary, Mendoza said, “It means a lot that the community continues to give us that kind of support. We’re here to help our kids, the youth, the future of our country, and we always appreciate everyone coming out.”