s Pancake Breakfast has been a fundraising institution for decades but at the 2012 Breakfast this past Saturday, eleven-year-old Forest Schraff had what is probably the best reaction to the breakfast ever.
“I thought it was going to be a little fundraiser,” said Forest. “What I see is a county fair.”
Pancakes, Not Funnel Cakes
Those looking for ShamWow booths, rigged arcade games, and deep-fried Snickers bars were undoubtedly on their way to Pomona. For Forest, his mom Shelly Schraff, who is on the Mount Washington Association Board of Directors, and other flapjack aficionados, Mount Washington Elementary’s first on-site event of the school year was definitely the place to be.
Fond memories of past Pancake Breakfasts even got my teenage son up in the “middle of the night” (a.k.a. 9:00 a.m.) to head up the hill for a Howlin’ Wolf breakfast. I was particularly motivated by the vats of java donated by owner . The did not disappoint; even better, there were bags of the beans available for purchase at the breakfast.
Fathers in the Classroom/Dads on the Griddle
The fun quotient was definitely high from the fire truck on the playground to the pancakes prepped by Fernando Orozco, President of the Friends of Mount Washington, and Gabriel Buelna, VP of fundraising. The flapjack flippers proudly reported that this year, many of the leadership positions in the FOMW are filled by men. ‘We call it “Fathers in the Classroom”,’ said Buelna. Orozco noted that the FOMW and the PTA might have different approaches but their goal is the same: to raise funds to support Mount Washington Elementary.
On Saturday, their mutual cooperation also produced some darn good griddle cakes.
Free Trees for Early Birds
I was hoping to pick up one of the free trees given away at the breakfast but by the time we arrived, early risers were already lugging saplings from the school in droves. Omar Delgado of told me all about the three varieties of native trees they had left: Desert Willows, California Oaks and a silvery fir tree, but I was in the market for an avocado tree. Luckily, my neighbors promised to share some of the avocados from their new tree. Here’s to good friends and guacamole.
And, of course, pancakes and the Howlin’ Wolves.
