The Cranbury Lions Club kicked off the holiday season with its annual pancake breakfast.
This breakfast entered into its 73rd year on Dec. 8, which has been a consistent tradition in Cranbury.
The Cranbury School cafeteria was filled with Lions Club members serving coffee, cooking eggs and sausage and, of course, making pancakes.
“The motto of the Lions is ‘We Serve’ and that is very important. Everything we do is for the benefit of the town,” said John Ryan, Cranbury Lions Club president. “Running the pancake breakfast every year is a landmark event for the town. You see members in the kitchen having fun, as well as the community.”
All the proceeds from the breakfast go straight to charity, Ryan said.
“100% of what me make goes to charity; none of it goes back to the Lions,” Ryan said. “The dues [that] Lions [members] pay, go to club. All the proceeds from today, will go back to the community. The pancake breakfast is a gift to the town.”
The proceeds from the breakfast will go towards student scholarships, a disaster relief fund and other capital project funds.
“Every year we give out about $6,000 in scholarships. We have three main scholarships and a fourth scholarship is available for someone who is in need financially to further their education into college,” Ryan said.
The Lions Club served about 200 meals, according to officials.
“The children absolutely love it, we make [them] little Mickey Mouse pancakes. We had a guy come back three times for the sausage,” Ryan said. “What is really nice is that local people contribute. The Cranbury Inn contributes and Teddy’s Restaurant contributes and they all give to help this breakfast.”
Dave Carrol is new to the Cranbury Lions Club and serves on the organization with his wife. The 2019 pancake breakfast was Carrol’s first.
“I grew up in a town that was a lot bigger than Cranbury and we did not have anything like this. Children are running around and enjoying themselves,” Carrol said. “Before we had our daughter, I would just write a check to an organization like this. You realize then that it is falling to the same 5-10 people every time, which prompted my involvement into the [Cranbury] Lions Club.”
New York-resident Kelly Harcahetts was in town to see family, as they took part in the Cranbury tradition.
“This is my second time to the pancake breakfast and my family comes every year. This breakfast means family and togetherness for the holidays,” Harcahetts said. “I definitely enjoy this event. It is a nice excuse to get together and celebrate the holidays.”
Walter Ziegler grew up in Cranbury and has attended multiple Lions Club pancake breakfasts over the last 40 years.
“I worked this event when I was a Cub Scout and my father was in the Lions Club. It is a great event for the town,” Ziegler said. “The pancake breakfast brings back people who grew up here and that is one of the best parts about the event.”
Ziegler said the pancake breakfast is typical for Cranbury and small town New Jersey.
“Cranbury has something very special and is one of few towns that still has a main street. It is a town that is not a bedroom community, but truly a town,” Ryan said. “The pancake breakfast is the Cranbury Lions Club showcasing action and service to the community.”