Kiwanis Club hosts events in conjunction with Maple Weekend

by Danny Maerten

The Kiwanis Club of Niagara-Wheatfield will host its annual pancake breakfast and basket raffle on Sunday, March 23, in the American Legion Post at 6525 Ward Road in Wheatfield.

This is held in conjunction with New York State Maple Weekend, www.mapleweekend.com.

Breakfast, served from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., includes sausage, juice, coffee, tea, all-you-can-eat hot pancakes and warm real New York state maple syrup.

Tickets for adults and children 12 and up are $7; children ages 4-11 eat for $4, and children 3 and under eat free.

This year, Corabelle, the sweetest and most generous clown, will be in attendance to fashion balloon creations for a nominal donation earmarked for Kiwanis International's "Project Eliminate."

Throughout this cold and snowy winter the Niagara-Wheatfield Kiwanis Club has been maintaining a constant agenda of informative meetings and community service. Susie Pembleton, the chairperson for the annual Safe Passage Christmas, spearheaded the collection of specific toys to match the Santa lists of children and the assembly of gift bags, consisting of robes, toiletries and other personal items of women who would be spending Christmas in shelter for victims of domestic violence.

On the very snowy evening of Dec. 12, club members assisted the gift wrapping booth at the Walden Galleria Mall to benefit Autism Services Inc. Autism awareness is the New York State's Kiwanis Governor's project.

On Saturday morning, Jan. 25, although another inclement day, the Niagara-Wheatfield Kiwanians prepared and served a delightful buffet at the Gliding Stars "Breakfast with Bach" annual event. Gliding Stars is an adaptive skating program founded in Western New York by Elizabeth O'Donnell.

The club's weekly meetings have been anything but commonplace, predictable or monotonous. Besides the standard procedures, the camaraderie and enjoyable bantering, each week those in attendance were enlightened and inspired by their guest speakers. They heard from Molly Pittman on Autism, Pat Minarcin from Gliding Stars, financial adviser Derek Bock and Dr. Dave Johnson, a volunteer with Himalayan Healthcare, a nonprofit establishment aiding and teaching villagers in Nepal.

Johnson showed a stimulating award-winning documentary on the effort and composition of Himalayan Healthcare. Niagara-Wheatfield School Superintendent, Dr. Lynn Fusco, was also a guest in January, but in place of the normal speech, the club engaged in an open discussion on education as it pertains locally and as a whole.

At the March 6 meeting, Lynn Fusco, sponsored by this writer, was inducted and welcomed as the club's newest member. The Kiwanis Club of Niagara-Wheatfield is in devoted contact with its K-Kids programs at West Street Elementary, Errick Road Elementary and B.U.G. (bringing up grades) at Colonial Village Elementary.

The club invites all to their pancake breakfast, one of their main fundraising events. For information and pre-sale tickets contact Colin at 716-754-4548 or Danny at 716-731-3696. Tickets will be available at the door. All proceeds to benefit the club's children's programs. Kiwanis International: Serving the Children of the World.

The Niagara-Wheatfield Kiwanis meets every Thursday at the Jetport Family Restaurant at 6:30 p.m. For membership or additional information, contact this writer at 716-731-3696 or [email protected].