This past weekend, the Raleigh Kiwanis Club held its first annual Pancake breakfast at the Highland United Methodist Church, and we had a fantastic crew of people making it happen. We had a set up of six pancake grills that had room for about six pancakes on each, and five people running them at any given time. From about 7:30 to 12:30, there were no breaks, batter dripping and flying everywhere, and thirty-six pancakes being made every four minutes and then eaten about as fast as they could be taken out.
It really did bring me back to the days when I used to work for a few Papa Gino’s restaurants in Rhode Island when I was in high school and college. The times when it was really busy, I got a great satisfaction from being able to keep up with the food demand, and it felt great when people complimented us on the food. It was also a lot of sore muscles from standing the whole time and having your arms in constant motion. But I felt really great at the end of my shift. And this time it was because I was helping the Kiwanis club raise money to help the community rather than earn a paycheck.
I did have a few moments to say hello to some clients who came to the kitchen entrance, which was great, and while cooking I got to catch up with a few of the Circle K students who were helping us out. Right now, I have no idea how much money the club made to help out with our projects, but I’m pretty sure we’ll have the money to buy, as we always do, a new pair of shoes for every foster child in Wake County and the other projects we participate in. In all, it was a fantastic day, and I’m already looking forward to next year.