Wagon Days tradition: a pancake breakfast
Papoose Club makes it happen
Some of the amounts needed to pull off this event: 400 pounds of
pancake mix, stirred with paint drills using a special attachment; 320 pounds of sausages;
65 gallons of orange juice; 175 pounds of cantaloupe, cut into slices; 310 dozen eggs; and
16 gallons of syrup.
By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer
If you’re a bit finicky when it comes to breakfasts—a "hold
the hotcakes and syrup" type—this is the weekend to let go and just enjoy.
The Papoose Club’s annual pancake breakfast will be held Saturday and
Sunday at Giacobbi Square parking lot from 8 a.m. to noon.
A local charity made up of (though not limited to) women, the Papoose Club
supports local youth-oriented charities through various events in the valley.
Among the club’s well attended and popular events are an annual
Holiday Craft Bazaar, a spring plant sale and the popular Kindercup ski race at Dollar
mountain.
The Papoose Club was formed about 50 years ago for women with children who
formed a baby sitting co-op so that they could ski. It has grown from there as a club and
an effective money raising organization. These days, anybody can join, including people
without children.
The aim of the Papoose Club is to "support educational, cultural,
social and athletic advancement all for the Wood River children," according to their
manifesto.
The pancake breakfast has been held for 20 years before the Wagon Days
parade and also on Sunday. Just under 2,000 people are served over the combined days.
"On a pretty day, sitting outside with your family and friends,
it’s a nice way to start that holiday weekend." said Chris Reineman, Papoose
Club president.
Although the waiting line for one’s breakfast can be rather long,
it’s such a social event that it almost seems part of the experience.
There’s plenty to occupy antsy youngsters, including a petting zoo
and, new this year, both a carnival in the old Louie’s parking lot and wagon rides
with wagon train outfitter Jim Super.
Serenading the hungry crowd from a flatbed truck will be the Doc Tater
band and the Old Time Fiddlers.
Janet Fugate, chairwoman of the breakfast and Papoose Club vice president,
said "both the community and visitors are there. Everyone is helping together.
It’s so nice when it’s a beautiful morning."
Fugate related some of the amounts needed to pull off this event: 400
pounds of pancake mix, stirred with paint drills using a special attachment; 320 pounds of
sausages; 65 gallons of orange juice; 175 pounds of cantaloupe, cut into slices; 310 dozen
eggs; and 16 gallons of syrup.
The dairy products come from Dairy Gold through Hailey’s Mountain
Dairy, and the coffee is being donated, urns and all, by Starbucks. For the previous
several years it had come from White Cloud coffee.
"It was a big project to make it all, but they have been very nice to
us for many years," Fugate said about White Cloud.
Desperado’s, a local Mexican restaurant, donates salsa.
Louie Shaw, who donates his services as an electrician, wires the board
for the grills, and coffee. It is a huge job considering the many appliances in use.
What’s more, Power Engineers, a firm in Hailey, has a lot of
equipment, such as serving tables and cooking utensils, for big functions. It’s all
organized and brought in by them for the breakfast.
The Papoose Club also rents 24-plus tables and enough chairs to go around.
Alice Schernthanner, an original and lifetime member of the club,
personally donates several grills, brings them over herself, sets them up and starts them.
Helping with the cooking, serving and cleaning up are members of local
groups who may benefit from the Papoose Club’s largess. They include Blaine
County’s developmental pre-school at Bellevue Elementary, the Sister City Exchange
Program, the Blaine County Rec District summer youth program and others.
"We appreciate all those people so much," said Reineman.
Organizations to whom the Papoose club also gives are PAL, Dare, The
Company of Fools’ programs for children, French and Spanish clubs’ trips and
Business Associates of Wood River.
All together, the club may raise through the pancake affair, after
expenses, up to $7,000.
"We give to the community," Reineman said. "That’s our
goal. We simply raise money to give to children’s causes in the valley."
Good causes and good hotcakes make a mighty fine way to start a late
summer day.
