The Kiwanis Club of Solon hosted one of its yearly Pancake Breakfasts last Sunday at the Solon Community Center.

The Kiwanis Club of Solon is a service club that provides scholarships for continuing education for Solon High School graduates. It was established in 1951 and was the first service club in Solon. Kiwanis has contributed more than a quarter million dollars to community youth activities.

Solon Kiwanis is a part of Kiwanis International, an organization that sponsors six different service organizations ranging from elementary school age children to adults.  Solon Kiwanis sponsors the Solon High School Key Club, a high school service club. Solon Kiwanis also sponsors, donates to and participates in many other community programs including Solon Safety Town.

The tri annual Pancake Breakfasts are the main fundraiser for the club, and pay for the scholarships that Kiwanis offers to SHS seniors every spring. The club offers academic scholarships, which consider grades, monetary need, community involvement, volunteering, future ambitions and Key Club membership. The Kiwanis Club of Solon Student Aid Foundation provide hardship scholarships which weigh financial need and school and curriculum choices. The club also awards a humanitarian scholarship, which is named in honor of long-time Key Club advisor  Ed Kramer. To win the Ed Kramer Citizenship Award, a student must be nominated by a school administrator or the current Key Club advisor.

Key Club is the Kiwanis service organization for high school students. The SHS Key Club assists their affiliated adult Kiwanis Club in hosting their spring and fall Pancake Breakfasts to pay for the scholarships. Junior Ariel Cahn, a three year Key Club member, has volunteered at many Pancake Breakfasts so far.

“Working at the Pancake Breakfast is lots of fun,” Cahn said. “There are many things that you can do, such as making pancakes, serving food, pouring drinks and helping out with whatever else is needed. The last time I was there my job was to help hand out bacon to people while working in a buffet-style line.”

Junior and Key Club Vice President Milan Jain has many fond memories from volunteering at the pancake breakfast.

“It’s always a fun time serving breakfast to peers and their families at the pancake breakfast,” Jain said. “Plus, as many community members can attest to, I’m quite a presence behind the griddle.”

Key Club members help around the community by volunteering at various events such as food drives, elementary school events, visits to nursing homes, Race for the Cure and additional service projects throughout the year. Cahn said she particularly enjoys when she can see the difference she’s making at Key Club events.

“One event that I enjoyed was working at the Polar Express during the holiday season,” she said. “I loved the idea of dressing up as elves outside while dancing and waving to the children and their parents on the train. Seeing the kids’ faces light up when they saw us with the decorative lights and backgrounds behind us was legendary.”

In addition to service experiences, Cahn said she enjoys the leadership opportunities that Key Club gives to SHS students.

“Overall, I have loved my experience in Key Club,” Cahn said. “It’s a great opportunity to give back to the community alongside other members of the club. Kiwanis gives Key Club opportunities for volunteering in addition to helping high school students learn leadership skills by running meetings, planning projects and holding elected leadership positions at the club. Although I am not an officer, I make an effort to attend any possible Key Club event.”

Cahn also emphasized that the Pancake Breakfast is an all around fulfilling volunteering experience.

“There is not just one thing that makes the Pancake Breakfast an amazing service experience, similar to working at the Polar Express,” she said. “I love seeing the happiness and enjoyment of people’s faces while working and hearing the big ‘thank you for your help,’ which I love to hear because it makes me realize the difference I can make in a community.”

Jain particularly enjoys the way that the pancake breakfast brings the community closer.
“What truly defines a Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast is its unique nature of strengthening the bond between community members,” Jain said. “When people go out for a meal, it tends to be in a sub-formal setting for lunch or dinner; it’s very rare that you’ll find yourself regularly going out for breakfast. However, the nature of the Pancake Breakfast defies these norms and allows people to go out early in the morning, all while dining on fresh-made stacks alongside their friends, families, and neighbors. It’s truly an incredible experience to dine in such a communal environment (and to taste my pancakes). I highly recommend attending one if you get the chance.”