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The sun wasn’t fully up by 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4.

However, the lights were on, and the kitchen was already busy inside First United Methodist Church at 204 S. Main Street in Winchester.

The Winchester Kiwanis Annual Pancake Breakfast occurred from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

“The Kiwanis Breakfast is one of two of our largest fundraisers to do our mission of supporting the children of Winchester,” said Cindy Banks, club president for the Kiwanis Club of Winchester, noting that the annual auction is the other large fundraiser. “That’s the main goal is to support the children of Clark County.”

After entering the church, attendees were guided to the downstairs level, where a $10 fee would allow them entry for breakfast.

However, the cost was far from a deterrent.

By 8:15 a.m., tables were already being filled, and many locals such as Clark County Judge-Executive Les Yates, Clark County Attorney William Elkins, Magistrate Chris Davis, Kentucky State Senator William Elkins, Winchester First Marketing and Events Director Cameron Correll, Clark County Detention Center Jailer Frank Doyle, and Clark County Sheriff Berl Perdue were present.

Organizers were optimistic that at least 200 individuals would be attending.

Lee Watts, an eighth-generation Clark County resident, was one of the earliest to arrive.

“I’ve been to several of these pancake breakfasts. It’s for a good cause,” Watts said. “We’re all one people, and we need to serve each other.”

Serving others was undoubtedly in the spirit of the day.

Along with different members of George Rogers Clark High School’s Beta Club, who assisted in tasks such as set up, clean up, getting drinks, and more, numerous Kiwanis Club members and volunteers cooked or helped dish out food for attendees.

On the menu were biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage, and – of course – regular or blueberry pancakes.

Allison Roberts, a loan officer with Traditional Bank who has also been a member for twenty years and is the Secretary for the Kiwanis Club of Winchester, helped dish out meals from behind the counter.

“We’ve got a good group over here. We got a system down, so it seems to flow pretty well”, Roberts said. “This is a lot of fun. We are a hands-on club, so this is a way that we can really get in there and help the kids in Clark County.”

Helping make the event possible through their support of Winchester Kiwanis Club were several sponsors, including Boonesboro Trail Senior Living, Harper’s Pawn and Jewelry, East Kentucky Power Cooperative, The Craft Nook, Hammerhead Signs, Robin’s Place and more.

The Winchester Kiwanis Club always seeks more members as it looks to benefit the community and children of Clark County, with multiple events throughout the year.

They meet each Wednesday at noon at Arby’s on Bypass Road.

“If you could just show up one time, we’d love to have you,” Banks added. “What I hope is people realize that they need to support one another…[and] be part of a community.”