Skaneateles Rotary to host virtual pancake breakfast
By Lori Ruhlman
Skaneateles Rotary
Skaneateles Rotarians have always known that their Father’s Day Pancake Breakfast is about more than just the pancakes.
It is about friends and family coming together to eat, to celebrate and to raise money in the most festive of ways in order to support the community all year long.
And so when club members met over Zoom last month and decided that the breakfast would have to be canceled for the first time in 52 years because of COVID-19, a simple “canceled” sign was never an option.
They considered having a virtual breakfast.
They considered simply asking for donations at a time when community need is high. What they decided on is a combination of both of these ideas that will help stock local food pantries and kitchens, said Rotary Club President Mary Giroux.
Instead of buying pancakes, people will be asked to donate what otherwise might have been their pancake breakfast funds to an on-line fundraising site. Proceeds will go to the local food pantries and school and community outreach meal programs, where the needs are bigger than ever.
To understand how to best help, Rotarians reached out to local food programs – and discovered constant high demand along with diminishing supply.
“They were thrilled with our idea,” said Rotarian Lee Bennett.
By asking community members to contribute as much or more than the cost of family attendance at the breakfast, the Rotary Club hopes to raise more money than usual this year, giving all proceeds directly to food programs to benefit local families in need, Bennett said.
Rotary will surprise some donors after the campaign by giving out some Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce gift certificates.
This is intended to infuse dollars back to business owners who have been hit hard by the virus as well, said Giroux.
There are 12 gift certificates ranging in size from $100 to $500, for a total value of $2,200.
“Everyone benefits and we hope to raise more than we do when we flip pancakes and crack eggs,” said Rotarian Tyler Lorey, who is running the on-line fundraiser. “Instead of feeding you pancakes this year, we are asking you to help us feed those who are struggling. Skaneateles is a strong community, and together Rotarians will use this lack of a gathering to virtually come together and help our community as a whole.”
The Skaneateles Outreach Office is projecting a continued need of 3,440 adult meals for the month of May at a cost of over $10,000, said Bennett.
In addition, the 5,000+ monthly meals provided to Skaneateles area children through state and federal funds may no longer be covered when the school year ends.
They plan to continue serving into June, anticipating an additional 860 adult meals per week at an approximate cost of $2,500 per week.
The program may continue past the end of the school year. If it does not, the need at the food pantry is sure to increase.
The Ecumenical Food Pantry is already experiencing high demand for its meal programs for senior citizens.
There are many unknowns as we enter the summer months. Will free meal programs continue? Will government support still be there? Will we need to cover even more costs locally?
“We can’t know for certain, but we know the needs are great,” said Bennett. “We know that we can do something about it right now.”
Over all the decades with the Father’s Day Pancake Breakfast, the community has turned out strong to help as volunteers working the breakfast, and as companies donating and to eat.
From feedback received already, the Rotary Club believes the community will be just as eager to help with this new effort, said Giroux.
To learn more visit go.rallyup.com/feedskan.
