Pancake Day not going flat in 2021

For more than 60 years, Pancake Day has been a tradition for the Kiwanis Club of Findlay. The annual event sees club members flipping pancakes and frying up sausage to feed hordes of hungry customers while raising funds to support the youth of Hancock County. Following its absence in 2020 due to the pandemic, Pancake Day returns this year for its 63rd offering — with a few changes. The event is planned from 8 a.m. to noon June 5 as a drive-thru meal at Findlay High School. A Flapjack 5K is also being held. Club member Brian Beall, who is co-chairing the event with Sarah Clevidence, said the drive-thru is one step closer to getting things back to normal after last year. "We understand that some people used to come for the ambiance and to reconnect or to connect. We can't quite offer that, but we're still counting on the community," said Beall. "And hopefully this is the first and only drive-thru version of it." A major change is the timing. Instead of the traditional March date, Pancake Day has been moved back to June. Looking at different venues, Clevidence said club members weren't finding anything that quite matched their needs like Findlay High School had in the past. "But Findlay High School, of course, couldn't let us come in during the school year because they have all the COVID procedures. So what if we do it right after school's out? And thank goodness, Findlay High School said yes," she said. Club members are familiar with that kitchen, and the school allows them to store some of their equipment and supplies there from year to year. Because of continued concerns about COVID-19, the club decided the only safe way to offer the meal was as a drive-thru event. The change presents new challenges for club members, said Clevidence. "We've made pancakes and sausage before, but usually we're kicking them out to a line of people, and we're almost taking them off the griddle right onto the plate," she said. "This year we're going to have to figure out how to box them up and get them out the door to folks that are driving through." Beall said they'll be working with Chick-fil-A staff to figure out the best drive-thru method. "They're the best," he said. "They can figure it out so we have an idea of where we want to be." New this year will be the addition of a Flapjack 5K, said club member Cassie Turner who is charge of the run. She said Kiwanis and 4-H previously partnered to offer a 5K/trunk-or-treat event around Halloween at the Hancock County Fairgrounds. "It's been OK, but the weather has not been our friend," she said. "We thought, 'Well, we're already doing Pancake Day that brings in hundreds of people. Let's combine them'. So now it's like, pancake plus." The race starts at 9 a.m., with the course beginning on the track behind the school. A fun run option will also be available, said Turner. The registration fee includes a T-shirt and a ticket for pancakes. Although last year's Pancake Day was canceled, Clevidence said sponsors were generous in letting the club keep those donations. The fundraiser still brought in about $18,000, she said. Funds raised help support projects like Kiwanis Closets, which provide basic clothing supplies to every elementary school in Hancock County; donations to AmTrykes to provide mobility to children with physical disabilities; and Kiwanis Foundation scholarships. Santa's Mailbox this past year also helped Santa send personalized letters to over 240 children in the community. The club's big project last year — in celebration of its 100th anniversary — was the creation of Brucklacher Memorial Park at the Little Red Schoolhouse on County Road 236. The next phase of the project will see Hancock Leadership placing a history walk component at the park. Club members are excited to see Pancake Day making a comeback. "Not only is it a fundraiser, it's also just such a fun event," said Clevidence. "That's the all hands on deck, everybody's there at some point throughout the day, and we just have such a good time doing it." A lot of people are already stepping up to help with some some of the new elements, Turner added. All tickets for the meal are $6, available by presale only. Tickets may be purchased from any Kiwanis member or at either Findlay YMCA location. Registration for the Flapjack 5K is $30, with more information coming soon.