Kiwanis Club of Omaha Westside

By Matlin Smith Current-Argus Staff Writer CARLSBAD — If warm, buttery flapjacks sound like the perfect way to start your weekend, you're in luck because a local organization will be serving up thousands of pancakes this morning for a good cause. The Kiwanis Club of Carlsbad is holding its 46th annual pancake breakfast and encourages residents to bring their appetites and enjoy a large stack of flapjacks at the breakfast fundraiser, which benefits Carlsbad youth organizations and the club's scholarship fund. "It's all you can eat, so eat all you can," said Carlsbad Kiwanis Club President Mike Smith. Beginning at 6 a.m. this morning, members of Kiwanis will be flipping pancakes and cooking sausage to serve to participating community members in the Carlsbad High School cafeteria. The Carlsbad High School Key Club will be helping by making sure juice and coffee cups are full and ensuring a clean eating space. The food and supplies are ordered from U.S. Food Service through Landsun Homes, where Kiwanis member Danny York, who is Landsun's executive director, has been taking care of ordering the food needed to feed thousands of hungry mouths for several years. "We are expecting about 1,000 people," Smith said. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door this morning. One ticket buys all you can eat, and most hungry patrons come back for seconds and thirds. Children 6 years old and younger eat free with a paying adult. "Kiwanis is a coeducation club dedicated to serving youth causes," said Smith. Proceeds from the annual breakfast will support scholarships for Carlsbad students, local youth sporting events and other local organizations, like the Special Olympics, Carlsbad United Way, Boys & Girls Club and the CASA program. This year the club will be raffling off a 50-inch flat screen television - just in time for Super Bowl Sunday. Tickets for the TV can also be purchased at the door this morning. Local live entertainment will be on hand to entertain residents chowing down in the school cafeteria. Smith also shared some facts about the Kiwanis organization in a phone interview Friday: -The Carlsbad club was founded in 1951, and has been hosting the annual pancake breakfast since about 1955. -Kiwanis was first founded in 1915 in Detroit, Mich., and the unusual name comes from the Otchipew Indian Tribe that is based in the northern state. -Kiwanis translates loosely to "we meet," "we build" or "we share our talents." -There are around 240,000 Kiwanis members nationwide. -The active local club is made up of about 25 members, and they meet at noon Thursdays at the Elk's Club. "Membership is open to anyone with a servant's heart," said Smith. What: Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast/Brunch When: 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. today Where: Carlsbad High School cafeteria Cost: $5 for adults; children 6 years old and younger eat free with a paying adult

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