There’s nothing better than good food and even better company. On Saturday, April 29, the City of La Porte Fire Department held its second annual pancake breakfast. Families, friends, and community leaders all gathered at Fire Station 1 to munch on some delicious pancakes and make some unforgettable memories, all while raising money for a good cause.
The La Porte Fire Department held its first pancake breakfast last year to raise some extra money for its Arnold J. Devereaux Scholarship Fund, which awards eight to ten graduating seniors from local high schools each year. All the proceeds from the breakfast went towards the scholarship fund, and the fire department held a raffle as well to get some more donations. When the breakfast had a remarkable turnout, the fire department knew this had to become an annual event.
“When we threw last year’s event we were nervous, wondering if we’d just be hanging out by ourselves for a few hours. It ended up being a huge success--at some times there was only room for people to stand. We knew we had to hold the breakfast again,” said Fire Chief Andy Snyder.
Unsurprisingly, this year’s breakfast was even more successful than the last. A long line of people stood waiting at the doors way before the breakfast started at 8 a.m. The breakfast wasn’t even halfway over before the fire department was expected to surpass its fundraising goal based on the prior year’s breakfast.
Snyder was touched by the number of people who came out to show their support for the La Porte Fire Department and its missions. He hopes that as the breakfast continues to grow in the future the fire department can do even more for the community’s young adults.
“We’re normally able to give eight to 10 students $300-$500 in scholarships, but if our breakfasts continue to do this well we might be able to give out so much more,” said Synder.
Patrick Schuyler, firefighter, and event coordinator, was equally touched to see the community’s residents interact with his fellow firemen. It’s not often that community members get to bond with their local firefighters in a laid-back setting, and the pancake breakfast was the perfect opportunity to build those relationships.
“It means a lot to see the community coming together. Often we only get to see people on their bad days, and they only get to interact with us when they’re in need. It’s nice to socialize with one another and interact when we’re all doing healthy and well. It’s uplifting,” said Schuyler.
The event was ultimately heartwarming all the way around. The fire department was proud of how everything turned out and can’t wait to see how the event grows in the future.
“I just want to see this keep growing. If we have to start setting tables up outside we’ll do it. We just want to keep this going so we can keep supporting the scholarship fund. It’s the nature of these guys to give back whether they’re on duty or just out in the community. Having the opportunity to take on an event like this and give back to the community is amazing,” said Snyder.
It’s easy to say that La Porte Fire Department’s second annual pancake breakfast exceeded all expectations. The department is grateful to all of its sponsors for helping them put on such a meaningful event. The department is also grateful to its ever-supportive community members, who are always willing to give a helping hand.
“I’m just grateful for the whole community. I want to give a big shout-out to everyone for coming out and supporting us and helping us out when we’re in need. It’s a blessing,” said Schuyler.
To learn more about the City of La Porte, visit https://www.cityoflaporte.com/.
