Pancake Breakfast with the Clifton Lions

The Clifton Lions Club hosted its annual Pancake Breakfast at the Clifton Presbyterian Church.

More than 200 guests attended the four-hour breakfast, helping the Lions net approximately $1,400 at Sunday's event.

The Clifton Lions Club and its 57 members raise between $35,000 to $40,000 each year. President Jay Moughon said that 100 percent of this money is donated to charity. The group’s major charities are close to home, the Life With Cancer House at Inova Fairfax Hospital and the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Program.

The Clifton Lions also help with international causes. Within five days of the recent tsunami in Japan, for example, they had sent $2,000 in donations to Japan. Additional donations to Japanese relief are planned, President Moughon said.

On entering the hall, guests were greeted by Clifton resident Mark Siegel's  hospitable "Good morning. How are you? We're glad to see you." They were then introduced to ticket-sellers Ron Adamczyk and Ken Isaac.

The price for an all-you-can-eat breakfast of pancakes, sausage, bacon, fruit juice and coffee was nominal. My hungry family of three adults and one child plunked down a whooping $23 for a meal that rivaled IHOP’s finest.

Also at the event was a supporter from the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation, Kathy Gold. For the past six years, Gold has represented the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation at the Pancake Breakfast.  Her job as a nurse and educator is to teach about diabetes, raise funds and offer information about community resources.  She also tested blood sugar levels, which were probably not low after all the pancakes. 

Watching the chefs at work was almost as big a treat as eating their creations. Seated regally on his throne in the kitchen, was Jim Kincheloe, who has made the Lions’ pancake batter since the early 70s. With a grin on his face, he admitted that long ago he added bourbon to the batter, but now he laces it with vanilla and rum flavoring.

Stirring the heavy mixture with a spoon would be challenging, but the ever-resourceful Jim has the solution. He uses a drywall mud-mixer, which is attached to a huge drill. Jim Kincheloe, who is also Master of Foxhounds at the Thornton Hill Fort Valley Hounds, is probably the most attention-grabbing batter-beater you will ever meet.

Jim Boatner and Ken Isaac, who is Virginia's candidate for International Lions Club Director in 2011, were stationed in the kitchen, too. These two bacon and sausage sous-chefs, slaving over a hot stove and loving every minute, deserve kudos for their skill in preparing tasty breakfast meats.

From time to time, a helper rushed into the kitchen with an enormous pancake dispenser. This handy tool, which holds about half a gallon of batter, enables the cooks to make pancakes that are uniform in size. A short walk outside led to the cooks, who were flipping pancakes. The propane griddle on the patio was just long enough for three flapjack flippers. Andy Cook, Gus Koustenis, Richard Bell and Devon Ramirez took turns cooking or carrying the pancakes into the dining room.

At the buffet table, guests were served graciously by the hosts. Returning for seconds and even thirds was not frowned upon. Seated with their families, talking with their friends and gobbling down the glorious griddlecakes, everybody enjoyed this wonderful Pancake Breakfast with the Clifton Lions Club.