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player ready...Arlene Kola brought her 7-year-old granddaughter and St. Celestine student, Kylie Kola, for her annual trip to have breakfast with the Easter Bunny on March 24 in Elmwood Park.
She said the breakfast has become a great Easter tradition for them to share.
“I know she loves to come, and a lot of her friends are here,” Arlene Kola said. “It’s a good time. The Kiwanis do so many things to help people.”
Montclare-Elmwood Park Kiwanis Club president Gabe Caporale said this year’s pancake Breakfast with the Bunny exceeded all expectations. He said there were more than 600 people at the event, which raised more than $4,000.
“The success of the Kiwanis is a team effort, and everyone works together,” he said.
For Kylie Kola, it was a chance to do something she enjoys.
“I love to come here every year with my grandma,” Kylie Kola added. “I get to see all my friends from school, and I get to take my picture with the Easter Bunny.”
The breakfast consisted of a bake sale, face painting, a split-the-pot event, games and a complimentary photo with the bunny. Canned food were collected for food pantries such as the Knights of Columbus, River Grove, St. William and Elmwood Park.
“Whatever we take in, we give it back to the community,” Caporale said. “If there’s someone with a special need in the area, we help them.”
Jenny Raffe, of Elmwood Park, said she’s a Kiwanis member and mother of three boys: Justin, 14, Ian, 12, and Matthew, 6.
“When we support and stand by each other, that’s what makes the community thrive,” she said. “The Kiwanis is dedicated to children, which is huge for me since I have three kids.”
Alicia Villagomez brought her 2-year-old son, Jovanni Matos, to the pancake breakfast for different reasons. She said she feels that building memories with her son around holidays like Easter are important to her. She also wanted him to play with other children and to see Elmwood Park High School.
“Growing up, I rarely went to community events,” she said. “I want to build that with Jovanni, since he’s my only child. I want to teach him about Easter.”
The Kiwanis Club will have the annual Bowl-a-Thon on April 15 at Circle Bowl in Forest Park to benefit spastic paralysis. Their Go Baby Go and Relay for Life events will be during the summer months.
