Photo gallery: La Jollans flip for Kiwanis pancake breakfast

The Kiwanis Club of La Jolla flipped stacks of pancakes onto the plates of hungry community members Sept. 18, serving up raffles, prizes and togetherness as part of its 57th annual pancake breakfast. It was the club’s first such breakfast since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March 2020.

Nearly 500 people visited the grounds of the La Jolla Recreation Center, where Kiwanis members staffed stations serving pancakes, sausage and beverages. There also were raffle tickets and an auction for prizes and experiences at local businesses, as well as a blood drive with the San Diego Blood Bank.

San Diego City Councilman Joe LaCava, whose District 1 includes La Jolla, was on hand to fix pancakes for waiting participants.

Kiwanis Club President Don Hodges said the club received assistance from volunteers from the Seaside chapter of the National Charity League and the La Jolla chapter of the National League of Young Men.

A disc jockey played music while children played on an inflatable structure or rode ponies.

Funds raised from the event will benefit the Kiwanis Club of La Jolla’s grants to local organizations such as La Jolla High School and the San Diego Humane Society.

“We’ve been long-term supporters of Kiwanis,” said Mike Couris, who attended the pancake breakfast with his wife, Erika. “They help sponsor the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, and I was a [Scout] leader in the past.”

Kristina Nifong, who with her son, Luke, mother, sister and niece, has attended the breakfast for years, said she’s “really thankful that people are out. We need community.”

Luke said he liked the pancakes — including a Mickey Mouse-shaped pancake a volunteer made for him. “It’s really special,” his mother said. ◆