Attendees gather in Lakeview Elementary School for a previous Negaunee Lions Club Pancake Breakfast. This year's breakfast will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. Proceeds raised during the event will go back to community organizations such as United Way and the Salvation Army. (Photo courtesy of the Negaunee Lions Club)

MARQUETTE — The Negaunee Lions Club will celebrate 51 years with its annual Pancake Breakfast from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at Lakeview Elementary School.

“It gets a lot of the people from the community out together, so it becomes a social event and not just a fundraiser,” said Negaunee Lions Club President Mark Pynnonen. “You’ll see a lot of the same people every year. Then, you’ll also see some new people that you end up visiting and socializing with over breakfast, both members as well as different attendees.”

The Lions Club is the largest international service organization in the world, with 1.4 million members. Established in 1917, the Lions began with a focus on issues involving sight, but their reach now extends far beyond that.

Tickets for the breakfast are $7.50 per person or $25 for a family. Proceeds raised during the breakfast will support various community organizations such as Bay Cliff Health Camp, Negaunee High School, the Iron Ore Heritage Trail, Northwoods AirLifeline, Salvation Army, United Way and more. Around 30 organizations will benefit from the fundraiser, Pynnonen said.

According to the Negaunee Lions Club website, special events — such as the annual Pancake Breakfast and the Spaghetti Supper prior to the Ore to Shore — helps the Lions raise nearly $10,000 per year, which goes directly back into the community in the form of grants, scholarships and projects.

“It’s good food and it’s a good fundraiser for what I believe to be a good organization that does a lot for the community,” Pynnonen added.

Dedication to the organization and care for the community are what define Lions members and the camaraderie among them is Pynnonen’s favorite part.

“I like the membership and the members,” he said. “They’re not just members, they’re friends.”

The Lions also put a special focus on impacting local youth, and ultimately the future of the community they serve, Pynnonen said.

“If we can impress upon them that providing service to the community is a good thing, not just in terms of what it gives them as youth, but going forward,” he said.

For more information on Negaunee Lions and their events visit www.negauneelions.com

Trinity Carey can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 243. Her email address is photos@miningjournal.net.