The Rotary Club of Merritt will be serving up breakfast favourites to kickstart Merrittonians’ Pro Rodeo weekend, with the local service club offering a pancake breakfast at downtown’s Spirit Square. Taking place on the first day of the rodeo weekend in conjunction with the Quilchena Avenue street market, the event will feed locals and raise money for local causes.
From 8:00 to 10:00AM on Saturday, September 3, Rotarians will be offering a myriad of foods to fuel a high-octane day at the Pro Rodeo. For a donation of $10, attendees will receive two pancakes, bacon or sausage, and a beverage. Members of the local Girl Guides chapter will join the Rotary Club in their endeavor, lending a helping hand to a fellow service group. The Rotary Club of Merritt’s President tells the Herald the club snatched up the opportunity to put on the breakfast, with the support of some local businesses.
“We were requested by the organizers of the street market to do the pancake breakfast,” said President Leslee Lucy.
“We’re really happy to do it, it’s going to be a lot of fun. We jumped on the opportunity right away. We’ve had some people donate some supplies to us, so that helps our margin quite a bit. No Frills, Walmart, and Save On all donated to us.”
Following the atmospheric river-caused flooding event of November 2021, and the devastation in its wake, the Rotary Club of Merritt began accepting donations to its flood relief fund. Reaching nearly $1 million dollars in total raised funds, the three phases of flood recovery funding made available by Rotary allowed hundreds of affected individuals and families to access much needed support.
While the Rotary Disaster Fund is managed separately from the club’s regular account, both accounts depleted as the club continued to honour all donation requests. The Rotary Club of Merritt offers multiple scholarships, a student exchange program, community events, donations to non-profit organizations, and has even funded public parks. Lucy said for the club to continue its work, they must replenish their general revenue account.
“We went into COVID with a healthy bank account, which is good because we had two years of no fundraising. We still had people reaching out to us for help, though, and we still were able to honour every request that came our way. That bank account is getting pretty skinny, we need to start filling it back up again,” added Lucy.
“Our goal is to be good community members, to be involved in the community as much as possible, and to involve the community in as much as possible.”
The Rotary Club of Merritt welcomes everyone to this Saturday’s pancake breakfast, from 8:00 to 10:00AM, at Spirit Square (2058 Granite Avenue). From there, Merrittonians can enjoy other scheduled events taking place as part of the 2022 Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo, such as the Quilchena Avenue street market, the Fall Fair, or the rodeo itself.
For more information on the Rotary Club of Merritt, visit www.rotarymerritt.com.