NSU’s Alumni Pavilion and Tailgate area was the place for a great breakfast and family fun Saturday, September 28 as the Natchitoches Kiwanis Club held its annual Pancake Festival, Mile Run and 5-K Race. Kiwanis has been a feature on the Natchitoches civic scene since 1946. The race is a relatively recent addition to the long-standing annual pancake breakfast. The Kiwanians served up several hundred pancake and sausage breakfasts to a hungry crowd of over 150 runners, as well as family members and supporters. The Natchitoches Fire Department was on hand in case of medical need and the Natchitoches SWAT truck also made an outreach appearance.
This year’s race contained a colorful twist from prior years that added to the fun. Kiwanians lined the first few feet of the racecourse and set off bursts of color for the runners to pass through. The superb young women of the NSU Women’s Basketball team were on hand to cheer on the runners as they ran through the course. There were also inflatables for children to play in and face painting.
The event was a fun way to raise money for a very worthy cause. The members of the Natchitoches Kiwanis Club are part of an international organization of civic-minded people in Clubs all over the world. The Natchitoches Kiwanis sponsors the well-known “Terrific Kids” program recognizing outstanding students in the parish as well as K-Kids, Builders and Key Clubs in area schools. They also sponsor coat and school supply drives for area schoolchildren.
The Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast and 5k Run is the main fundraiser held each year to support these worthy efforts.
