Contributed
Santa Claus visited with shy children Saturday morning inside Clarkton Entertainment Center in hopes of learning what to bring on Christmas eve. Folks chatted and enjoyed breakfast as seasonal songs played in the background.
Just a few feet outside, Troy Mitchell flipped pancakes on his home griddle while Clarkton Commissioner Jerome Myers made the sausage sizzle on a griddle borrowed from the Clarkton Fire Department.
At the end, the Clarkton Lions Club had raised more than $1,700 during its “Pancakes with Santa” fundraiser. Funds will be used to support community projects throughout the year.
“It was awesome,” said Mitchell, a Lions Club member who organized the event. “It’s great to see the community come out and help support our projects and it’s great to see all the people get together for fellowship.”
The breakfast officially began at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. By 9 a.m., people filled the tables and enjoyed all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage and washed it down with coffee, hot chocolate, orange juice milk or water.
“I thank the Clarkton School of Discovery Beta Club members for their assistance, Clarkton Fire Department for letting us use their griddle and Barefoot Brew and Smithfield Foods for donating supplies,” Mitchell said. “A special thank you to Santa Claus for finding the time in his busy schedule to talk with the children. We had several Lions Club members and others in the community helping put things together.
“The weather was perfect and the event couldn’t have gone better. We’re looking forward to our next pancake fundraiser in the spring,” Mitchell said.
Other Clarkton Lions Club fundraising events are the Strides Walk in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Association and calendars which includes birthdays and anniversaries.
The Lions Club contributes to the following on an annual basis:
• Three $1,000 scholarships through the Bladen Community College Foundation
• Juvenile Diabetes Association
• Clarkton Fire Department
• Clarkton Dixie Youth Baseball
• Elf Angels Fund
• Empty Stocking Fund
• Lake Waccamaw Boys & Girls Home
• N.C. VIP Fishing Tournament
• Community of 100
• Leader Dogs to train seeing eye dogs
• Brighter Vision
• Camp Dogwood
The club is always looking for new men and women members who share its passion for community service. The club meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m. inside the Clarkton Fire Department on Peach Street. Anyone is invited to attend a meeting to learn more about the club.
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