As the holidays roll around each year the Cranbury Lions Pancake Breakfast has become a tradition on the first Sunday of the year. And this year the tradition continued.
The Lions hosted their 68th annual pancake breakfast at the Cranbury School on Dec. 6. In addition to pancakes, the Lions serve sausage, scrambled eggs, fruit, fresh bananas, oranges and apples, orange juice, milk, coffee and tea.
Lions Christine Thompson and Andre Mento, who have co-chaired this event for years, did so once again this year. Another tradition of the breakfast is pictures with Santa (Bob Homoky) by photographer Bill Parsons.
The Lions also hold their winter coat collection and their Toys for Tots collection during this time of year. At the pancake breakfast the Lions also had a Poinsettia Sale, chaired by Lion Rick Burke.
In addition the Cranbury Lioness Club holds their Holiday Boutique and the Cranbury Arts Council provides an ornament making activity for the children. Ornament making is popular among with the children.
The annual pancake breakfast is one of the local group’s major fundraisers of the year. Several sponsors helped provide food that made this year’s event a success. They include: McCaffreys ($250 gift certificate), Cream-o-land (orange juice, cream and milk), Teddy’s (sausage), Cranbury Inn (eggs and syrup), Zinnas (butter and creamers) and Perkins Restaurant (pancake batter). The flyers for the event were printed by Rick Burke, and the Lions pancake banner was hung by George Conley. Spouses Joanne Meehan and Rosemarie Mento volunteered to join the 29 Cranbury Lions who turned out to work during the pancake breakfast.
Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service organization with about 1.35 million members in 208 countries. The Cranbury Lions Club was chartered in June of 1932. It is a service-based organization to the local community, and it has reached out through Lions Clubs International to the country and the world.
Sponsoring the Jamesburg Leo Club is one way the Cranbury Lions Club serves youth. Other programs serving youth include sponsoring the Lions Club International Peace Poster Program for students age 12 to 14 at the Cranbury School each fall and its Scholarships and Community Service Awards each May.
The Cranbury School joins with the Cranbury PTO to provide the families the opportunity to participate in the annual Pumpkin Carving Contest offered each year the Friday before Halloween.
The Cranbury Lions also sponsor the Memorial Day Parade and post-parade ceremony and participate annually in the Cranbury Municipal Alliance Drug Free Fair each May.
Community members who are interested in joining the Cranbury Lions Club can obtain information by visiting our website http://www.cranbury.org/clubs/Lions/servclub.htm or our Cranbury Lions Club Facebook Page.
