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Kiwanis Pancake Day Feeds the Masses


boy-eating-pancakes

A young man enjoys a plate full of panckakes Saturday. (Photo: Tom Roome)

Photographs: 2008 Park Forest Kiwanis Pancake Day – part 1, Park Forest Kiwanis Pancake Day 2008 – part 2

Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)– The Kiwanis Club of Park Forest held its 37th Annual Pancake Day Saturday. Thousands came to the big tent outside Village Hall to enjoy pancakes, sausage, milk and coffee — and the company of family and friends.

Volunteer and Kiwanian Michele Johnson stepped away from the Pankatron to comment for a few minutes on the volume of people being served, “We’re having a fabulous day. We’re on track to serve almost 5,000 people, maybe a little bit more.”

She said volunteers really turned out, “We’ve had just the perfect amount of volunteers, everybody’s come in shifts, lot’s of help for everybody coming, getting their plates – really, it’s so well organized this year.”

Lanesha Calvin said she was attending her third Pancake Day in Park Forest, “It’s really fun, a great thing to do. It’s a good thing just to be out with your family having fun eating breakfast.

Gloria Castle lives in Chicago Heights, but works in Park Forest at the Ludeman Center. She brought some of the people she works with to enjoy pancakes and sausage, “The guys that I work with, I brought them up here to eat. It’s nice!”

Interviewed at mid-morning, Diana Cruz said she showed up for her shift at 6:30 a.m. “It’s warm,” she said. Cruz was staffing a volunteer table with syrup and other items for the tables.

Sandra Turner said she was enjoying her thirty-second Kiwanis Pancake Day, “It’s immeasurable, the amount of good that this one annual event does for the community of Park Forest. So, next year, come on out and enjoy.”

sausages

“Everybody likes sausages,” says cook John McDonald.(Photo: Wendy Heise)

“I grew up here, moved here in ’66,” said Gregg Whitebloom of Burbank, Illinois. “Left here almost 20 years ago and still come back. See a lot of faces that you don’t see other than coming here. It’s a great thing in terms of where the money goes. It’s a beautiful day.”

Sylvia Walker said she enjoys helping to raise money for the Kiwanis, “It’s a fundraiser, so I’m helping out.”

Resident Jerold Bean had one big reason for attending, “It’s just a family tradition. We’ve been coming here since they started, when we were little kids. It’s great to bring our kids here and see all the other families here in Park Forest that are still doing what Park Forest is about.”

“The sausages are wonderful,” said volunteer John McDonald. McDonald and a select crew were responsible for cooking the half-ton of sausages expected to be cooked and enjoyed Saturday.

“Everybody likes sausages, because we’re cooking them just right,” McDonald said.

Kathy, a resident of Homewood, said a friend of hers introduced her to that pancake breakfast last year, “We’re just amazed at how wonderfully it’s run and how efficient everybody is who works here. It’s a wonderful thing. I had to come back this year and do it again.”

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Girls Scouts volunteered also. (Photo: Wendy Heise)

Millicent Walker brings Girl Scout volunteers to help serve, “This is an annual event. We’ve been doing this, I don’t know how long…, and we love it.”

Kiwanian Enid Norton laughed and said she’s been volunteering for quite a few years, “I’m on the beverage detail.”

Resident Nissim Eskenazi said Kiwanis gave him an opportunity to become more involved in the community, “I used to work downtown. I didn’t have anything to do with Park Forest. I figured I had to join an organization and do something.

Angela Basile had only one friendly request for the Kiwanis Club of Park Forest, “Get a second tent!”

Related: Kiwanis Readies Pankatron for 57th Pancake Day

 

Photographs: 2008 Park Forest Kiwanis Pancake Day – part 1, Park Forest Kiwanis Pancake Day 2008 – part 2


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