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 Thirty years ago, the Spring-Ford Rotary Club saw a need in the community and looked for a way to meet that need. A pancake breakfast was suggested, and a tradition was born.
That 30-year tradition continued recently as the club held its annual breakfast buffet at Friendship Fire Co., Royersford. According to breakfast chairman Tom Smith, it appears to have been close to a record year, with more than 800 people served.
The proceeds from the breakfast serve the community through a number of area organizations which receive funds from the Rotary Club. Since the first breakfast in 1978, the club has raised more than $120,000 through the annual pancake breakfasts.
Among the organizations that have received donations are Project Outreach, the Royersford and Spring City public libraries, Spring City Revitalization, Spring-Ford area Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, Phoenixville and Spring Valley YMCAs, Spring-Ford and Limerick historical societies, the Manderach Memorial Playground, Friendship Fire Co., Spring-Ford Youth Athletic League and other youth athletic programs.
New to the list of benefiting organizations this year is the Spring City Pool, a recreation facility run by the Community Association of Spring City.
Many of the organizations send volunteers to help cook, serve and clean up at the breakfast. Smith reported about 100 people contributed their time to the project. Among the volunteers were representatives of the Spring City Pool, Spring-Ford Youth Athletic League, Thunderbirds Softball and more. In addition, the Spring-Ford High School Interact Club, a youth service organization sponsored by the Rotary Club, “was a big help,” Smith said.
The Swartley family of Royersford was enjoying their first Rotary breakfast. Mom Kerry explained they just moved here last year, so this was their first opportunity to take part. She commented on the nice variety of food and added that it was prepared very well. Son Andrew, 12, chimed in, “And we heard it was a buffet!”
Besides plain and blueberry pancakes, the breakfast featured sausage, scrambled eggs, toast and corn fritters, as well as shoo fly pie.
Betsy Batten, Limerick, and her daughters have been attending the Rotary breakfast for years, probably since the first one in 1978, she said. It’s a family tradition, they laughed. “It’s for a good cause,” Batten said. “I enjoy seeing people I don’t see often, and the food’s always good.”
Her daughter, Debbie Batten, added, “It’s the first chance to see the rest of the community after the winter.” For many years, the breakfast has been held in early spring, usually the first Sunday in March.
Each year between 700 and 1000 people are served at the breakfast, which has always been held at Friendship Firehouse. Feeding that many people takes a lot of food. In 1998, for example, the breakfast consumed 2000 eggs, 2000 sausage links and 55 gallons of orange juice, in addition to the pancakes, toast and corn fritters. And as far as the toast goes, 1995 numbers show that 29 loaves of bread were used.
The breakfast buffet also featured a prize raffle, including $500 cash; a Spring Valley YMCA family membership; 150 gallons of heating oil from Oehlert Bros.; one year of chiropractic care from Connelly Chiropractic; dinner for four at Spring-Ford Country Club; a year in flowers from Beth Ann’s, and many other prizes and cash awards.
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