January is pancake month; just ask the Austin Lions Club.

The organization is holding its 53rd annual Pancake Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at First United Methodist Church, 204 First Ave. NW in Austin.

“It really is a community event,” said Charles Mills, president of the local Lions Club.

Mills said nearly 50 Lions Club members will volunteer throughout the event, and anywhere from 1,500 to 1,800 locals will attend. Volunteers will serve pancakes, French toast and sausage the entire time, and door prizes will be available, too.

But the event is more about filling community needs than filling stomachs with batter. Proceeds from the event go into the Lions Club’s funds and go right back into the community for things like eye glasses, diabetes programs, service dogs, tree plantings and house fix-ups.

“It’s easily 30 percent of our funds,” Mills said about the one-day event. “It’s significant.”

Tickets are $6 at the door, and kids 6 and younger get in free. Advance tickets are $5 at the Chamber of Commerce, Doors and Floors, Sterling Real Estate and the Mower County Senior Center.