BY KARISSA MILLER
The griddles will be hot and the food will be plentiful all day at the 3rd annual Randy Marion Pancake Day – Iredell’s Happiest Day fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of the Piedmont on Thursday, April 3.
Doors will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. at the Statesville Civic Center.
The event is an all-you-can-eat meal that can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch or dinner time. It includes pancakes and sausage as well as a choice of drink. Tickets are $10 for the event.
Last year, volunteers served 2,177 people. Organizers hope to serve 2,500 people at this year’s event.
“We found out very quickly that this became a community day. This year, we have church groups coming in and the Rotary Club coming in as a group. It has taken on a very community-oriented feel. It’s a fundraiser event, but also a day to celebrate community,” Boys & Girls Club Director of Development Brady Johnson said.
A dedicated group of local “gourmet chefs,” which includes Statesville Mayor Costi Kutteh, professional football player Breon Borders, Mitchell Community College president Tim Brewer and many more, have signed on for this year’s event.
Event sponsors and volunteers, including a few “Gourmet Chefs,” are being recruited for this year’s event. It takes 200-plus volunteers to run an event of this size.
To help make the theme “Iredell’s Happiest Day” come to life, Big Oh! Balloons owner Kristie Darling, a community volunteer partner, will have a hot air balloon tethered on the ground outside of the civic center.
The Boys and Girls club mission “to enable all young people, especially those who need us the most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”
The fundraiser provides “much-needed funding” for the club’s after school and summer camp programs, according to Executive Director Cory Knight.
In 2024, the nonprofit served 566 members, including 509 students at the Cochran Street campus in Statesville and 57 students at the satellite campus at Shepherd Elementary School.
“The need for youth services in our community is so great,” Knight said.
The summer camp program runs all day for eight weeks at the main campus.
“We are in the middle of planning our summer camp. The cost is around $30 per day to fund a child for the full day. The goal is to raise $135,000,” Johnson said.
Sponsorships & Volunteers
Potential sponsors and volunteers for Pancake Day can find additional information at www.piedmontbgc.org.
Tickets
Tickets for the event are $10 and can be purchased at the Club, 1001 Cochran Street), online at www.piedmontbgc.org, or from staff and BGCP board members.
LEARN MORE
For additional information contact Brady Johnson, Director of Development, at bjohnson@piedmonybgc.org or call (704) 397-2427.