The Kiwanis Club of Brownwood’s Vice President, Jessica Willey, loves to organize, she loves to serve her community, and she hates to say no. When asked to head the 64th Annual Kiwanis Pancake Supper, Willey had some concerns.
With the local club’s shrinking membership, the annual fundraiser, which serves pancakes to hundreds of attendees, was not looking good.
“It was a challenge, dealing with fewer volunteers to sell tickets, and fewer volunteers to serve food,” said Willey. “The numbers were working against us.”
The annual pancake supper is the club’s only fundraiser. The club uses proceeds from the event to give money to several youth-serving organizations in Brown County.
Faced with the prospect of fewer ticket sales, Willey opted to add a few new features to this year’s supper. One of those is local business sponsorships.
“People in this town want to help. They have open and honest hearts,” said Willey. “I had a gut feeling business owners would step up, and they did.”
Over 20 businesses agreed to varying levels of sponsorship, essentially covering all the costs for the event. Thanks to that support, 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to local youth organizations like The Brown County Boys & Girls Club, CASA, and local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops.
Because this was the first year for sponsorships, Willey was surprised how quickly so many businesses said yes. “These sponsors agreed without really being able to see a benefit for their own business. They simply said ‘we believe in this and we want to help’ It was amazing.”
Not only were all the financial needs for the event covered, but local businesses and donors also sponsored tickets for law enforcement and first responders. 450 tickets have been purchased for the Brownwood Police Department, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, the Early Police Department, the Bangs Police Department, local fire departments and ambulance crews, as well as other enforcement offices such as the Lake Patrol and game wardens.
Whenever Willey encountered a need, she found another sponsor willing to help. “It’s been one miracle after another,” she said.
All that is left is for the community to come and enjoy pancakes with sausage, plenty of butter and syrup, drinks, and a bit of fun with another new addition: a photo booth. Televisions streaming the 2016 Presidential Election result coverage will also be featured during the evening.
The 64th Annual Pancake Supper will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 8th at the Brownwood Coliseum.
Tickets are $6 and available from any Kiwanis Club member, at the Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce office and Wendlee Broadcasting. Tickets can also be purchased at the door and take-out plates will be available.
For more information about the club, visit its Facebook fan page at facebook.com/BrownwoodKiwanis. Kiwanis Club of Brownwood meets every Thursday at the Brownwood Country Club from noon to 1 p.m. The meetings are open for anyone interested in the club.
Pictured is Jessica Willey, busy planning the event.
