Their names are different, but their mission to serve the South Haven community is the same. The Rotary Club of South Haven and the Kiwanis Club of South Haven will join forces to sponsor a blueberry pancake breakfast as part of the National Blueberry Festival on Saturday and Sunday, August 14-15.
In past years the clubs each hosted their own pancake breakfast during the festival, the Rotary at the festival’s Fly-in at the South Haven Regional Airport, while the Kiwanis Club catered to festival-goers downtown at the Huron Street Pavilion.
But the repercussions of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions has brought the clubs together to offer a large-scale breakfast at one location over two days.
For the Rotarians, news of the cancellation of the Fly-in was devastating. “This is by far the biggest fundraising event for our club over the year,” 2020-21 Rotary President Daniel Thompson said. “Upon getting the word that the Fly-in was canceled, I reached out to Kiwanis leadership to see if there was any interest in combining our breakfasts during the Blueberry Festival,” Thompson explained.
The two clubs have existed in South Haven for a long time – Kiwanis for 100 years and Rotary since 1956. They have never worked together on a project of this scope.
“Kiwanis Club leadership was very supportive of the idea,” Thompson said.
People who attend this year’s Blueberry Pancake Breakfast at the Downtown Pavilion can expect to see both clubs donning in their respective attire while jokingly ribbing one another, but staying focused on preparing a menu of all-you-can-eat blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, coffee and juice. They will be served each day from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a goal of serving as many as 3,000 meals over the weekend..
The clubs will split the profit with proceeds allowing each to continue their support of a wide array of community organizations.
