It’s that time of year again — a time where residents can come out and help the DeWitt Rotary continue their motto of “service above self” by enjoying all-you-can eat pancakes and other breakfast items.
The 62nd annual DeWitt Rotary Pancake Breakfast will be held from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, under the large tents set up at the ShoppingTown Mall parking lot. Tickets are $5 each in advance or $7 at the door, and can be purchased from contacting a DeWitt Rotarian or online at dewittrotary.org/PancakeDay.cfm.
The breakfast includes freshly made pancakes, along with sausage, coffee donated by Dunkin’ Donuts, as well as juice and milk donated by Byrne Dairy. Pancakes are made-to-order and come plain, or with blueberries, chocolate chips or M&Ms.
Cheryl Matt and Mark Strodel, co-chairs of the event this year, explained that the breakfast event is the main fundraiser the organization holds each year and all of the proceeds are used by the Rotary to hold service projects and donate to local organizations to improve the community.
On average, there is a net profit of about $40,000 at each year’s event and, in 2015, more than 4,000 people attended the event.
“Every penny we raise goes back to the community over the course of the upcoming year,” said Matt. “Our motto is ‘Service above self,’ and that’s why we do what we do.”
To raise money for the event, the DeWitt Rotary sells advertising space in their yearly print publication, “The Flapjack Review,” which gives an overview of the DeWitt Rotary’s past year.
Raffles will be held at the event, which include items donated from community business and organizations, and tickets are $1 per ticket. Bottles of maple syrup produced by the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School Future Farmers of America will be sold for $5 each and all proceeds will go toward the eradication of polio worldwide.
Strodel said that the DeWitt Rotary works with local Boy Scouts and OCCRA to ensure all food and utensils are disposed of to reduce waste. Members of the DeWitt Police Department and the DeWitt Fire Department will be in attendance with informational booths.
“It really is an event that so many people look forward to attending,” said Strodel.
For more information, go to dewittrotary.org or search “Rotary Club of DeWitt, NY” on Facebook.
