Last month, the Kiwanis Club of Kirkland (KCK) sponsored its annual pancake breakfast at the Kirkland Community Center at Parkplace.
Many club members were on the job at 5 a.m., picking up food, setting up tables and chairs, bringing in table linens and flowers, heating up the grills, making coffee and figuring out who does what as they kicked into gear. Kids from local key and builders club and other volunteers pitched in to help make the event a success.
The doors opened at 7 a,m, to hungry patrons who made a $7 donation for a breakfast feast of pancakes, sausage, fruit, coffee, tea, milk and juice.
At 7:30 a.m., the entertainment began. It was non-stop music from local schools and various entertainers throughout the morning. This was the fifth year entertainment was on the “menu” and it was a huge success, adding a party feeling to the whole affair, according to a KCK press release.
In the release, KCK gave a special thanks to one of their members who “generously donated the food for the event.”
Mike Marquess — co-owner of the Casino Caribbean in the Kingsgate area, north of Totem Lake — has been a member of the KCK for seven years and he has donated the food for the pancake breakfast for the past six years.
“I am glad to help out with the Attain Housing program and to be able to help homeless families,” Marquess said in the release.
As in past years, money raised at this annual fundraiser went toward Attain Housing, a local organization that has been helping homeless families build strength and get a new start since 1989.
According to the release, more than 25,000 people experience homelessness in King County each year. The top cause is lack of affordable housing. Attain Housing helps homeless and at-risk families with children in King County to become stable and self-sufficient. To make a donation or learn more about what this organization does, visit www.attainhousing.org.
At this year’s pancake breakfast, KCK raised $5,000 for Attain Housing.
The annual Pancake Breakfast is one of many fundraisers put on each year by KCK. To learn more about the club, visit www.kirkland.kiwanis.org.
