By Julian MITCHELL, intern

Try as it might, rain could not beat breakfast in the foothills on Saturday, Oct. 13 when Crescenta Valley High and Fremont Elementary schools hosted annual pancake breakfast fundraisers.

The Crescenta Valley Town Council with CVHS hosted their 11th annual pancake breakfast. Despite the bleak weather, volunteers and participants delighted in the warmth of the people and food.

“We want to take care of our kids and give back to them,” said Council President Harry Leon.

The breakfast is the largest fundraiser for the town council, according to Council Member Daniel Lee. Half of the proceeds raised go directly into the CV Town Council scholarship fund to help graduating seniors prepare for college.

While town council members helped around the grill, many CVHS students volunteered to serve up eggs, pancakes and sausages to hungry ticketholders.

In addition to breakfast, the fundraiser also offered participants the opportunity to meet local government officials, such as state senator Anthony J. Portantino and Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger.

Entry was $6 for those who walked in; advance tickets were available for just $5.

Local resident Dena Blood and her family were ready for their servings of flapjacks.

“Our family loves coming every year to the town council pancake breakfast. We love the food and greeting our neighbors,” Blood said. “We are so impressed with the hard work of the town council [members] who cook for and organize this breakfast as well as the incredible service they give our community. It was a chilly morning but a warm experience.”

In addition to enjoying the breakfast, Blood sold advanced tickets on behalf of the CV Instrumental Music Dept. Nonprofit organizations can receive half of the proceeds from CVTC pancake breakfast tickets they sell.

Not too far down the road was the 25th Fremont Elementary pancake breakfast. The school was fundraising for sixth grade programs, providing class T-shirts and planning a trip to the Pali Institute, a multi-day outdoor learning facility.

“It’s great for the community and it’s nice to help these kids build a legacy,” said Fremont Principal Vickie Atikian.

The legacy building at Fremont continued with the extension of the school’s handprint wall. Additionally, Fremont hosted a book fair during the day for kids to drop by and pick up some new reading material.
As for Principal Atikian, she is doing some legacy building of her own. Starting only six months ago as Fremont’s new principal, she said that she has had a “warm welcome” from her new school.

Despite the weather, everyone seemed to be having a good time enjoying their community. As for the food, District Supervisor Barger can tell you about that: “It’s awesome!”

Lori Bodnar contributed to this story.

  Julian MITCHELL