Serving as president of the Kiwanis Club of Aurora, this year Bill Donnell – who also is the alderman for Aurora’s Fourth Ward – will likely spend some time greeting guests at this Saturday’s 67th annual Kiwanis Pancake Day.
Donnell is foregoing another of his favorite jobs at least for this year, flipping pancakes on the custom pancake grills.
With the specially designed rotating motorized grills, Donnell said, in addition to being a big attraction for the kids who come to the breakfast each year, the grills also do a great job cooking the pancakes.
“One of our members who is an engineer designed and built the custom circular grills,” he said. “The pancakes spin one rotation on the grill and they are done.”
As part of its family atmosphere, Donnell is one of just over 100 members of the Kiwanis Club of Aurora who volunteer their time to raise money for kids “here in our community and around the world.”
While many of the Kiwanis members will be on hand to help out Saturday, this year’s breakfast marks the 67th time that long-time Kiwanis member Bill Moore will be in attendance.
Moore, who is 99 years old, was at the group’s first pancake breakfast 67 years ago, Donnell added.
In 2012, the Kiwanis Club renamed one of its scholarships the Aurora Kiwanis Club/G. William “Bill” Moore Scholarship Fund to honor Moore and his longtime contribution to the Kiwanis Club of Aurora.
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As one of the oldest Kiwanis chapters in the country and the first to exist in Illinois, Jerry Knudtson, co-chairman of the Kiwanis Pancake Day, said the annual breakfast serves as the Kiwanis Club’s largest fundraiser of the year.
Thanks to donations from Two Brothers for the coffee and Sodexo for the pancake batter, syrup, sausage and orange juice, all money raised will be distributed among 40 local organizations including the Boy and Girl Scouts, youth sports teams, and clubs for youth.
“The event is expected to raise between $40,000 to $45,000 and serve between 1,300 to 1,700 guests,” he added.
In its 101st year in existence, the Kiwanis Club of Aurora raises money for scholarships which are managed by the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley.
As part of its 100-year celebration last year, the Kiwanis Club of Aurora donated $100,000 to the Aurora Public Library which was used to create the Kiwanis of Aurora Children’s Center on the first floor of the Richard and Gina Santori Aurora Public Library.
Heartland Blood Centers also will be taking blood donations from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the pancake breakfast. Appointments are appreciated, however, walk-ins are welcome and photo IDs are required.
“It works out pretty well for people to have a pancake breakfast and donate blood,” Donnell added.
Cathy Janek is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
Kiwanis Pancake Day
When: 7 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 18
Where: Aurora Central Catholic High School, 1255 N. Edgelawn Drive in Aurora
How much: Tickets for the breakfast may be purchased from Kiwanis Club of Aurora members with an advance cost of $6. Tickets will be $7 at the door.