Lions Club flips pancakes for many worthy causes on April 14

The Eden Prairie Lions Club is setting the table for its longstanding Pancake Breakfast fundraiser, scheduled for Sunday, April 14, from 8 a.m. to noon at True Friends Camp Eden Wood, 6350 Indian Chief Road.

This annual event, coordinated by Lions Club member Barbara Hanson for the second consecutive year, aims to surpass last year’s attendance and fundraising achievements.

In 2023, Hanson said the event served 525 attendees and raised more than $6,100 for the community.

“We’re hoping for good weather,” said Hanson, chair of the club’s pancake committee. “I don’t think we’ll have a lot of snow by then.”

Tickets are $10 per individual or $25 for a family, with children under 5 eating free. Payment can be made at the door with cash, checks, or credit cards.

The breakfast will again feature pancakes, sausages, and syrup, with The Original Pancake House donating the batter and syrup. Attendees can eat as many pancakes and sausages as they like.

“It’s all you can eat,” Hanson emphasized.

For Hanson, the Pancake Breakfast signals the arrival of spring and kicks off the Lions Club’s fundraising efforts for the year.

Following the breakfast, the club plans several other community events, including Schooner Days from May 31 to June 2, a beer and wine service during the city’s Fourth of July festivities, the Corn Feed on Aug. 3, and the golf tournament on Aug. 5.

According to the Lions Club, all profits generated from those events go back to the community, with no funds being used for club operations. The club’s entire operating budget is supported internally with funds from members.

From July 1, 2019, to Feb. 1, 2024, the Lions Club donated $207,400 to various causes.

This includes more than $30,750 for public safety efforts, such as equipping the EP Crime Prevention Fund’s police SUV for drone operations and providing CPR training mannequins for the fire department, and $36,750 in scholarships to Eden Prairie High School students.

Also, $107,400 was allocated to social and community services. This funding supported several initiatives, including a $50,000 donation to True Friends Camp Eden Wood for special needs children and $20,400 for The PROP Shop, which provides clothes and furniture to needy families. Additionally, $12,300 was directed to PROP Food.

Reflecting on the Pancake Breakfast’s history, Hanson offered this anecdote: When she took over organizing the event last year, she was given a box of files from years past. Sifting through it, she learned that the first Eden Prairie Lions Club Pancake Breakfast was held in February 1987.

“It was at Eden Prairie High School, and tickets were $3,” Hanson said. “I’m guessing they moved the pancake breakfast there when our meetings moved to Camp Eden Wood. That was in 2006.”

Over the years, the Pancake Breakfast has evolved into a cherished community tradition, uniting neighbors over fluffy pancakes and cheerful conversation.

For one resident, Tyrin “Ty” Anderson, the annual event has documented his growth in event photos from a pancake-loving child to a blossoming teenager.

“It’s just the one day, but you see a lot of people, and they really seem to enjoy it,” Hanson said. “We have a lot of Lions (members) that continue to volunteer year after year. Thank goodness because I’m still learning so much about what to do and how to do this.”