LIHU‘E — Billed as a “Super Breakfast” in the East Kaua‘i Lions newsletter, the annual pancake breakfast lived up to its name as people lined up when the doors opened at 6:30 a.m., Sunday. “It seems like people are here
LIHU‘E — Billed as a “Super Breakfast” in the East Kaua‘i Lions newsletter, the annual pancake breakfast lived up to its name as people lined up when the doors opened at 6:30 a.m., Sunday.
“It seems like people are here earlier this year,” said Stephen Fujii, one of the East Kaua‘i Lions greeters. “But you’re lucky because the mayor is here right now.”
Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and his wife Regina were mingling with the diners enjoying their breakfast, a bag of to-go meals in tow.
“We had almost 2,000 tickets sold by Friday,” Fujii said. “Then there are the sales today. All together, I think this is slightly more than what we served last year.”
All told, Fujii said the Lions served up 1,552 breakfasts, split between dine-in and take-outs.
Fujii said there were more than 200 tickets sold at the door with the breakdown being 694 diners enjoying the camaraderie of their neighbors and live entertainment while 858 take-outs went out.
The annual fundraiser offered patrons a serving of pancakes, scrambled eggs, Portuguese sausage, rice, fresh fruit (although everyone knew it was Lion Roy Nishida making the connection for Maui pineapple flown in for the event) and the special miso soup created by Lion Harvey Kinoshita and his wife Sandy.
“I was working on the soup base for three days before this,” Harvey said. “It looks like it’s going out pretty fast.”
As Lions Ron Garlie, Mike Myers, Guy Higa and Skip Koenig churned out pancakes, Wayne Mukai and Kerry Mori used deft wrist action to fluff up trays of scrambled eggs.
“We do 20 pounds at a time,” said Lion Angel Acorda, who along with Paul Endo and Edwin Santa Maria, were in charge of the rice station. “We have big rice cookers so we can keep up with the orders.”
George Mukai, Lion Wayne’s father, had a guest from Waianae, O‘ahu, enjoying the meal, and Lion Sandi Sterker made sure her visitors from Oregon were able to take in the pancake breakfast as well.
But among the happy diners, Rotarian Bill Harper seemed the happiest, noting that he just got his 10th Rotary shirt which he can wear when he helps with the Thanksgiving turkey distribution this year.
“Sandi met this guy wearing the shirt at church, and after talking with him, found out it came from a thrift store,” Howard, who was enjoying breakfast with the Paul Douglass family, said. “Next thing I know, she has a shirt to add to my collection. This is No. 10.”
The East Kaua‘i Lions Club, with Diane Kent serving as president, meets the first and third Thursday of each month starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Lihu‘e Neighborhood Center.
Sam Morningstar, the club’s vice president, served as the chair for the annual pancake breakfast.
