Pancake Breakfast

Enjoy a pancake breakfast with your family

On May 13, the Spirit of Springfield will mix up a recipe for the "World's Largest Pancake Breakfast." It takes a lot of love, dedication, generosity and community spirit served with families, friends and neighbors.

From 8-11 a.m., the Eastfield Mall parking lot will be transformed into a fresh air breakfast buffet with three cooking tents and several beverage stations, all staffed by dedicated volunteers. Some will arrive as early as 6 a.m. and stay well past noon. Their job is to flip the flapjacks, slop on the syrup, pour the coffee and serve the juice.

While breakfast-goers dine on their pancakes, the two entertainment areas will be grooving. Area dance schools will feature their talented students. The Springfield Fire Department and Police Department will also be on hand with a display of their state-of-the-art equipment.

The star of the show, however, is the fabulous fare made possible by the generous donations of area businesses. IHOP (International House of Pancakes) comes with the batter, syrup and some expert chefs. The Eastern States Exposition and the Big E Cream Puff Bakery provide the equipment and the kitchen to prepare the hundreds of gallons of batter.

Cabot Creamery and the Dairy Farmers of Agrimark provide the butter to top every stack. H.P. Hood pours on the milk, juice and creamer. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters sends the coffee for the Western Massachusetts Correctional Alcohol Control Center to brew. Mansfield Paper Company, Baystate Health and Cumberland Farms provide the dinnerware. Mercy Medical Center prints the tickets. Additional support is provided by Costco, The Federal Restaurant and Wal-Mart.

The week before the "World's Largest Pancake Breakfast," students in participating area schools will be given a free breakfast ticket. The Spirit of Springfield's goal is to bring the community together in celebration, Springfield's 370th birthday, in a family-friendly environment.

Presiding over this year's flapjack feast is Massachusetts State Senator Brian Lees. He will serve as Honorary Chairman. Senator Lees was selected for his countless contributions to the city and citizens of Springfield as well as to honor him in his final term as a state senator.

For a fifth year, the "World's Largest Pancake Breakfast" is sponsored by Hannoush Jewelers. In 2002, when it was announced that the breakfast would not be held, Nabil A. Hannoush came forward to pledge the company's and family's support.

For more information about the pancake breakfast, visit www.spiritofspringfield.org or contact the Spirit of Springfield at 733-3800.