Pancake Day!

Here are our pictures from Kiwanis Pancake Day. Make sure you scroll down to the bottom to read about the event's most enthusiastic fan!

First, batter is dropped on the hot skillet...

When ready, the pancake is tossed high into the air...

Was there any doubt he'd catch it?

A full house -- in more ways than one.

Cortesia Perez, 2, gets her first taste.
"She'll want to come back -- tomorrow," said her Mom.

"Where'd it go," asks Mayor Gary Becker...

This one didn't get away. As for others...

And now, meet Al Mueller, Pancake Day's biggest fan:

Pancake enthusiasts unite in Racine each year on the first Saturday in May. This is not news. After all it’s been going on for over 50 years.


What is news is that every year since its inception Kiwanis Pancake Day has seen Al Mueller. In fact, Pancake Day has seen Al show up for each of his meals every year on that special Saturday. That’s right; Al Mueller buys enough tickets for Pancake Day to have breakfast, lunch and dinner. All pancakes, all day. He even brings his wife Judy for dinner and treats his son to the delicious tradition. Al's family doesn’t quite share passion for pancakes: they come only once during the day.

Al doesn’t stop at his initial serving. He wants to support our local Kiwanis so he always gets seconds and sometimes thirds. He positions himself near the serving line in order to eliminate travel time back and forth to his table. When asked what motivates this mission, Al throws a look that comes only from a wise, hard-working Racine native (we all know the look) and answers, “I love pancakes!”

Ah, yes…pancakes…comfort food.

--By Monte Osterman