Cakes on the griddle
Published 10:35 am Friday, January 23, 2009
Aunt Jemima was at the first Austin Noon Lions Pancake Day.
Jerry Wolesky swears so.
Whether the Aunt Jemima whom Wolesky spoke of was the “large, gregarious woman with the face of an angel” as her creators described her or an image borne of the popular syrup bottle that bears her name is unknown.
But just like the favorite breakfast tradition of pancakes and syrup, so, too, is the annual Austin Noon Lions Pancake Day a highly anticipated ritual each late-January in Austin.
This year’s Pancake Day, the 50th installment of the event, will be held 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29.
Once again, First United Methodist Church will host the event in its basement fellowship hall.
Tickets are being sold in advance by club members. They will also be available at the door Jan. 29. Tickets are $5 each. Children 6 and younger will be served free of charge.
This year, not only are the pancakes golden brown, but so is the Pancake Day history golden.
Hotcake history
Wolesky is the Austin Noon Lions Club secretary and historian. Call him “Mr. Pancake.”
Nobody knows Pancake Day better than Wolesky, a 32-year veteran volunteer for the Austin Noon Lions Club.
Nobody knows what enticed the service club to unite with a thin batter cake fried in a pan or on a griddle in oil or butter, but it was a marriage that lasted.
Fried butter cake, crepe, flapjack, griddle cake, hotcake, a pancake by any name has become the Austin Noon Lions Club’s most successful fundraiser.
They’re good to eat any time of the year, but especially in cold winter weather. Hence, the declaration frequently heard, “It’s pancake weather.”
According to Wolesky, nothing has stopped the annual fundraiser in January throughout its long history.
“The Austin Lions Pancake Day started in 1960 at the Austin Armory, with none other than Aunt Jemima herself in attendance, and this event has become synonymous with our club and easily our signature event,” he said.
“After short stints at the Terp Ballroom and Riverside Arena, this event has been held in late January for the last 32-years at the First United Methodist Church,” he said.
“The club has averaged serving about 2,000 people per year at this event,” Wolesky said. “That works out to about 98,000 over its 49 years, or somewhere in the neighborhood of 392,000 pancakes.”
Not to strictly rest on the event’s simple formula, changes — albeit small — have taken place.
“The menu has evolved over the years and now includes French toast to go along with the sausage and pancake,” Wolesky said. “We have even added the choice of lite syrup for the calorie counters.”
The Austin Noon Lions Club holds Pancake Day but once a year. “Even though we do that, when volunteers go to work at another Pancake Day, they seem to know exactly what to do,” Wolesky said.
The club’s also operates the concession stand at Wescott Athletic Field throughout the Austin High School sports season, but a lot is resting on the success of the Pancake Day, which they advertise they do “to help others see and hear.”
“Each member is given tickets to sell,” Wolesky said, “We generate between $4,500 and $5,500 income per year.”
“Pre-sale of tickets is very important, but we do have a number of tickets sold at the door,” he said. “Much of our profit is helped out by local merchants, who either donate or sell at cost, food and staples used for the day.”
Seven different shifts of workers, starting the evening before Pancake Day, must set-up. After the last jack has been flipped or flammed, the clean-up crew goes to work.
“All members are expected and needed to take a minimum of one shift, with many taking more,” Wolesky said. “All our senior members participate as well, with some taking tickets at the door.”
Wolesky credited first, Stan Ankeny with being instrumental in assisting the club garner support and assistance for the Pancake Day fundraising and then his son, Mike Ankeny.
“They both have done a lot for the club,” Wolesky said.
Club members have also treated the enterprise like a “business” and re-invested some of their proceeds into future Pancake Days.
“Over the years we have purchased our own grills and purchased all our needed serving equipment,” Wolesky said. “This equipment also generates income for the club, as we rent this out during the year to other organizations doing a similar project.”
At First United Methodist Church, the club members create a minimum of “fuss” in the kitchen and fellowship hall.
“We bring in all paper and plastic products, so there is no need to use any of the church’s,” he said. “We cover the floor of our work area with cardboard to make clean-up go much faster.”
The largest crowds come in early morning, lunch time and supper.
The club also invites local entertainers to the event.
There are hourly drawings for door prizes, and the Lyle Lioness Club holds a bake sale throughout the day.
For the last several years, the club has also offered diabetes and glaucoma testing scheduled this year 7-11 a.m. Jan. 29.
New this year for the golden anniversary will be the live broadcast by KAUS AM 1480 radio broadcasters Duane Germain and John Wright.
Also, Tina Rosenthal, will entertain from 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 29.
Rosenthal (Miss Austin) was crowned Miss Minnesota International 2008 at St. Cloud.
Rosenthal is the daughter of Darrel and Lorrain Rosenthal.
Ninety-five percent of the Austin Noon Lions Club’s available membership volunteers for the Pancake Day fundraiser, according to Wolesky. The club’s membership is depleted in January by those who are “snow birds” and wintering in the south.
Mr. Pancake will be there. “The biggest satisfaction is the money we raise goes to some very worthy causes,” Wolesky said, speaking of the International Lions Eye Bank and Hearing Foundation, as well as local community service projects. “It is nice to know we can help people who really need it.”
For more information on Pancake Day contact either Lion Mark Marreel at “mailto:marreel@aol.com” marreel@aol.com or Lion Jerry Wolesky at “mailto:jwolesky@fawver.com” jwolesky@fawver.com.