IF YOU GO

Event:

World's Largest Pancake Breakfast

When:

Saturday, May 16, 8 to 11 a.m.

Where:

Main Street downtown Springfield from State Street to Worthington Street

Cost:

$3 for adults and $1 for children

For more info:

Visit www.spiritofspringfield.org or call (413) 733-3800

It's a recipe too big for anyone to even try at home. But not to accommodate a giant breakfast table on Saturday morning that runs along Main Street in downtown Springfield from State Street to Bridge Street.

Combine 3,450 pounds of buttermilk flour, 800 pounds of eggs, 350 pounds of butter and 450 gallons of water for a batter to make thousands of buttermilk pancakes - the stars of the annual World's Largest Pancake Breakfast.

"The real recipe for a successful breakfast in downtown Springfield is good weather, plenty of hungry people, and volunteers who make everything possible from set-up to clean-up, batter making and grilling the pancakes, and so much more," said Judith A. Matt, president, Spirit of Springfield, organizers of the annual event.

"This weekend's breakfast is the first official event of a very special year for us - the celebration of 25 years of memory-making events for families from Springfield and all our surrounding towns," she added.

The World's Largest Pancake Breakfast, which also celebrates Springfield's 379th birthday, is one of the many activities that the Spirit of Springfield will be presenting as a part of their 25th season. It also marks the 25th time the non-profit organization has presented the breakfast nosh that has been held annually since 1986.

This year's honorary chairman is Michael Mathis, president of MGM Springfield.

"MGM Springfield is pleased to continue our tradition of partnership with the Spirit of Springfield. This event takes on even greater meaning to me personally this year as my family and I will soon call Western Massachusetts home," said Mathis in a Spirit of Springfield press release.

When breakfast-goers take their final bites and leave the breakfast table, there is still plenty of fun to be had before going home. In addition to munching on piles of pancakes, downtown Springfield turns into a playground with horse-drawn wagon rides, mini-train rides, displays of apparatus from the Springfield Fire and Police Departments - including Engine 1, Ladder 1, Heavy Rescue Squad and Bomb Squad on display. as well as two stages filled with entertainment, including performances by DREAM Studio, National Square Dancing, Falcetti Music, Christina Colon, Hannah Forbes-Smith, Community Music School, Sci-Tech Jazz Band, Springfield Boys and Girls Club, and Mary Ann's Studio of Dance. Also, new to this year's event will be fourth grade students from St. Michael's Academy in Springfield, led by Vanessa Ford, who will sing a number of musical selections including the popular "Pancake Song.

Visitors to downtown can also learn more about Springfield Police K-9 Unit's Paws for Cause and have some fun with their own dogs, or even a cat or hamster, who can pose at the cruiser for a photo bearing the words "Beware: Canine Dog." There is a $5 donation for the photo. Springfield Police K-9 Unit scarfs will also be available for $5, with sales of the photos and scarfs overseen by Carando staff. Matt noted the Spirit of Springfield plans to donate the proceeds to the unit to support the current and retired Springfield Police K-9 teams with medical and equipment costs. And, every dog having their photo taken will be given a special biscuit.

"Judy (Matt) saw what we did last December at Eastfield Mall with our canine unit and thought it would be a good idea to give us some additional exposure at this year's World's Largest Pancake Breakfast. There was an overwhelming response from the public at Eastfield Mall and long lines for the photographs and plenty of positive interaction with the officers there. I hope to see the public again coming out to embrace our officers at the breakfast for everything they do to protect them," said Sgt. John Delaney of the Springfield Police Department.

In addition to MGM Springfield, the World's Largest Pancake Breakfast is supported by donated products and services valued at more than $10,000 from the pancake batter - mixed by a team at Mercy Medical Center - and syrup to Cabot Creamery Butter, as well as H. P. Hood milk, orange juice, creamer and refrigerator trucks, and 1,000 pounds of tasty, crunchy bacon from Carando Classic Italian. Paper products are donated by Baystate Health and Mansfield Paper Company. The Springfield Business Improvement District, along with the Springfield Department of Public Works, keep Main Street clean, and the Springfield Police Department also lend their support.

Volunteers, a "most important ingredient to the success of our breakfast," who cook and serve up those yummy orbs of grilled batter serving the breakfast include representatives from 94.7 WMAS and 1450 The Hall, Armoury Quadrangle Civic Association, Bethel Child Care Services, City of Springfield Law Department and Code Enforcement, Exchange Club of Springfield, iHeart Media, MassDevelopment, MassLive, Rock102, Rotary Club of Springfield, SATCO (PVTA), Springfield UNICO, The Q 99.7, UMass Center at Springfield, United States Postal Service, Wells Fargo Financial Advisors, Western Mass News and Western Mass. Square Round Dance Association.

As the face of volunteers is every-changing, Matt noted the private non-profit Spirit of Springfield is receiving additional support from Performance Food Service, who already donates enough batter to fill 100 five-gallon buckets. They are also donating syrup and lending a refrigerator truck. The Sheraton Springfield is donating and brewing the coffee for the first time, while Gleason Johndrow Landscaping is augmenting the support of the Massachusetts Army National Guard.

"Many on our staff have attended the breakfast for quite a number of years, but I have never had the opportunity to attend. Our company is now working in Springfield, we were looking for something to get involved with, and this is the perfect fit," said William Metzger, operations manager of Gleason Johndrow Landscaping.

"We will be selling our Spirit of Springfield book at all of our major events this year, and I am pleased to announce that we just learned it has won a national award, a gold medal, in this year's Communicator Awards," said Matt.

The book's author will also be on hand to sign copies of "Spirit of Springfield," which documents the Spirit of Springfield's first 25 years and features over 600 photographs.

Usually selling for $25, breakfast-goers will receive a special price of $20.

