Scene of a previous Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast fundraiser. Photo by Morrie Pongratz

By CHERYL PONGRATZ
Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos

If you’ve heard of Kiwanis, the first thing that probably comes to mind is “Pancake Breakfasts”.

Pancake breakfasts have been a fundraiser for Kiwanis Clubs throughout the organization’s 75- year history in Los Alamos. For the past decade or so, we have held one special pancake breakfast – Breakfast with Santa – with a two-fold purpose to collect canned goods for LA Cares and to accept monetary donations that will support the Foster Children’s Christmas Party for the first Judicia District (Los Alamos, Santa Fe and Rio Arriba Counties).

Pancake breakfasts symbolize Kiwanis. Kiwanians are volunteer workers who focus on community service. Whipping up those pancakes and serving coffee give us the happy opportunity to personally engage in service to the community.

But Kiwanis is really much more that pancake breakfasts. Other continuing projects in recent years include aluminum can collection and recycling, support for the African Library Project, collection of used bikes for the Free Bikes for Kids Initiative, and support of Service Leadership Programs at all of the Los Alamos public schools where Kiwanians and school sponsors jointly hold club meetings with K-Kids (elementary schools), Builders Club (Middle School) and Key Club (High School) with the purpose of involving youth in community service.

Three Kiwanis Clubs in Los Alamos have, for 75 years, impacted thousands of youth and adults and enriched the lives of Kiwanis members who take pride in serving the community.