Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but who says you have to eat it in the morning?
The JC Cosmos once again proved it's always a good time to eat breakfast with their annual Pancake Day at the Selinger Center on Broadway.
Despite the cold and blustery weather outside Wednesday, many Jefferson Citians spent their lunch hour supporting the annual fundraising tradition.
The JC Cosmos, which bills itself as "the club that fights diabetes," has held the pancake dinner for 58 years. Funds from the lunch and dinner go toward diabetes research and education.
Eric Burkett, who is a 30-year Cosmos member, said he was glad to see the event take place this year. Last year, it wasn't held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"My father got me involved in the club when I was young, and I've been doing it ever since," he said. "When I go to businesses to sell tickets, people say they were expecting to see us and that's a good feeling."
He added: "One of the things we're very proud of is we have developed a diabetes kitchen at the Cole County Health Department to help train people who were recently diagnosed with diabetes."
A few years ago, the Cosmos were needing help for the event so they reached out to the Host Lions Club. The Lions sent volunteers to help at the pancake day, and Cosmos members returned the favor and helped the Lions out with their ham and bean dinner. And the tradition has continued.
"We like to brag that we're a small club, but we make a big difference," Burkett said.
In the video accompanying this article, Eric Burkett, a 30-year member of the JC Cosmos, shares why Pancake Day is such an important annual tradition in the Capital City.