Crowds are expected to flip at the Canton Lions Club Pancake Breakfast during the Canton Liberty Fest set for June 16, 17 and 18 this year. The event will return to Heritage Park after a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
John Anthony, president of the Canton Lions Club Foundation, said this will be the 27th year the club has sponsored the breakfast which has become a tradition at the festival. As always, the breakfast is set for Saturday morning during the festival events.
Anthony said this year the breakfast would again include servers from Chris Cakes who take delight in “flipping” the pancakes from the griddle onto the waiting plates of patrons brave enough to try and catch the flying cakes from the air. He said the event has evolved over the years and “kids really like it.”
The breakfast is a fundraiser for the group which is dedicated to helping visually or hearing-impaired children. Anthony said one of the main beneficiaries of the club is Penrickton Center for Blind Children in Taylor. The Lions Foundation also helps fund the printing of books in Braille for children, among several other charities which fit the mission of the organization.
“The breakfast is one of our main fundraisers” he said, “and last time, I think we generated about $3,000. Each year, with all our projects, I think we raise about $25,000 of which every nickel goes to charity.”
Anthony, who has been active with the Lions for about 14 years, said he looks at his involvement as a “way to give back” to the community. He said he has been a Canton resident since 1973 after serving in the Marine Corps, attending law school and joining the FBI where he worked for 25 years. He also served for 12 years on the Canton Township Board of Trustees.
“The breakfast is fun and it raises money for a good cause,” he said. In addition to the flying pancakes, some fun characters are expected to be on hand from 9:30 until 11 a.m. including Princess Leia and Darth Vader.
The Lions will serve pancakes from 8 until 11 a.m. on Saturday at the North pavilion.
