Firefighters flip pancakes for community

Fallbrook firefighters will be manning the grill once again at the Community Center’s annual spring Pancake Breakfast starting at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 22.

Albertsons is donating most of the food for the breakfast this year. Mark Strikwerda, vice president of the Fallbrook Firefighters Association, will gather all the supplies and oversee the preparations the night before the event.

Strikwerda said, “It’s incumbent upon firefighters to give back to the community. Firefighters are admired and it’s part of giving back in support of that. By participating in this community event, it helps us stay mindful of that. People appreciate you when you are out there.”

Between 10 and 15 firefighters, reserves and Explorer Scouts will arrive at the center at 5:30 a.m. to heat the grills, start the coffee, set up tables, put up decorations and perform other tasks.

“We involved our Explorer Scouts in this because this is where you teach them about community service at a young age, so when they go through the process, whatever fire department they wind up working for, it’s not foreign to them. In a way, it’s a mentoring thing we do,” added Strikwerda.

They plan to fix between 300 and 400 breakfasts that morning until 10 a.m. The supplies needed to make that many breakfasts include 25 gallons of pancake mix, 12 whole hams (sliced), 10 gallons of orange juice, eight gallons of milk, four big tubs of margarine and four gallons of syrup.

The cost for the breakfast is $4 for adults and $2 for children.

According to Strikwerda, “Every penny from the Pancake Breakfast goes to the Community Center. We want to support [director] Gordon Stone and his efforts at the center.”

The firefighters will be at the community center cleaning up until noon while kids enjoy Easter egg hunts, games, face painting and an appearance by the Easter Bunny, all at La Paloma Elementary School, starting at 10:30 a.m.

The Fallbrook Firefighters Association also participates in the Avocado Festival (in the same location as the Fallbrook Vintage Car Club in front of Peter’s Auto), which is on April 20 this year.

On April 30, they will participate in the National Fallen Firefighters Association fundraiser with Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors. The local firefighters will be on hand at the Fallbrook location to meet, greet and take pictures with the public.

On May 25, they will be running the food concession at the Annual Fallbrook Vintage Car Show, now at Potter Junior High. For this event they prepare approximately 1,500 pancake breakfasts, then transition into 1,500 barbecued hamburgers for lunch.

They are greatly assisted in their effort by Fallbrook resident Marty Dalton, owner of Dalton’s Roadhouse in San Marcos. Dalton provides awnings, barbecues, a refrigerated truck and more.

By taking part in these community events, the firefighters reciprocate the feelings of Fallbrook residents.

“This community does support their firefighters and we really appreciate that. We care about our image in the community,” said Strikwerda.