POULSBO — Take 5,000 pancakes, 2,000 sausages, 1,200 eggs, and add hard-working Lions and LEOs, the enthusiastic support of the North Kitsap community, repeat annually for 42 years, and you have successfully created the Poulsbo Lions Pancake Breakfast.

It is held every year during Viking Fest weekend at North Kitsap High School. All proceeds from the Pancake Breakfast go directly to scholarships for North Kitsap-area students. This year, the proceeds from the Pancake Breakfast, in addition to funds from the Poulsbo Lions-Raab Foundation, produced $8,000 for scholarships.

The Lions Pancake Breakfast is a major undertaking. Lion Matt Alvarado, this year’s chairperson, said, “Lions start working at the wee hour of 5 a.m. During the breakfast, we had 48 Lions doing a variety of tasks from mixing batter to serving pancakes, and from selling tickets to scrubbing dishes. Fifteen teens from three LEO clubs helped bus and clean tables. Central Market and Krusteaz helped defray our costs and increase the proceeds for the scholarships.”

Alvarado said the club is also grateful to the City of Poulsbo, Poulsbo Compounding Pharmacy, Bill Austin, EHL, James Lumber, and Red Apple.

“Miss Poulsbo, Miss Viking Fest, and Miss West Sound were on hand to work and greet customers as well,” he said.

During the breakfast, the Poulsbo Lions Evening Pride Branch provided free vision screening and collected used eyeglasses.

A week after the breakfast, eight Lions Club members met to pore over more than 100 scholarship applications and selected 11 recipients.

Lions Clubs are a group of men and women who identify needs within the community and work together to fulfill those needs.

The Poulsbo Noon Lions has 92 members in the parent club and branch.  The parent club meets every Thursday at 12:15 p.m. at First Lutheran Church. Go to www.poulsbolions.blogspot.com or Facebook/Poulsbo Noon Lions Club.

The Evening Pride Branch meets the first and third Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at St. Olaf’s Church.

For membership information, contact Alvarado at matthewalvarado305@gmail.com.