Pink Haven Pancake Breakfast Raises $10K for Breast Cancer

Fair Haven community members woke up early Sunday morning and filled the Fair Haven Fire House for the “Pink Haven” Pancake Breakfast sponsored by Cub Scout Pack #127.

The fire house was brimming with people, all looking forward to enjoying a delicious breakfast while supporting a great cause.  The tables were crowded with families and smiles and a true sense of community.

Scouts were working hard all morning, weaving through the crowd while balancing plates stacked with pancakes and breakfast sausages, which were generously donated by Readies’ Fine Foods in Red Bank.

An army of volunteers held down the kitchen, making sure there was never a moment where empty plates longed for pancakes.

An array of baskets filled with great prizes lined the tables for a silent auction. People lined up to buy stacks of raffle tickets in hopes that luck was on their side. The baskets, all of which were donated by members of the community, contained a variety of goodies for kids and adults.

In its 8th year, the annual Pancake Breakfast began as a way for the community to support one of their own. When Fair Haven resident Katy Frissora, whose children were boy scouts, was diagnosed with breast cancer, the community felt compelled to help.

Inspired by Katy’s strength and struggle, the local scouts began the annual Pancake Breakfast to support breast cancer.  The breakfast gives the scouts the opportunity to learn not only about community service, but also how important it is to support and care for the women in their lives.

The breakfast is also a great way to show the boys how important it is to raise money and volunteer time for causes aside from their organization. All the money from this fundraiser is donated to breast cancer causes and not to the scouts.

“It gets the boys working hard for women, not for themselves, which is an important lesson,” said Mary Lenskold, a volunteer who helps organize the breakfast each year.

Each year, the proceeds go to long time partner, the Walsh Family Charities, which helps aid in breast cancer research and care. The charity was started by Fair Haven resident Paul Walsh, in honor of his wife Maryellen, a two time breast cancer survivor. 

The charity works closely with Dr. Patrick Morgan, who was the former Chief of Breast Surgery at Sloane Kettering Cancer Hospital. The funds raised go to support research and new technology, such as the Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) machine, a cutting edge scan that allows for early detection.

This year, the scouts also teamed up with Paint the Town Pink, a community wide effort presented by Riverview Medical Center to “raise awareness of the importance of breast cancer prevention, detection and treatment.”  The money raised by the breakfast will be split between these two amazing charities.

All money donated to Paint the Town Pink goes to the Pink Fund, which helps underserved and uninsured women afford mammograms. With the average cost of a mammogram ranging from $500-$600, many women, especially in a tough economy, are forced to put off mammograms due to their cost.

“I just tell everyone who came out today, with every pancake you eat, that’s a woman’s life that you saved,” said Stacey Donovan, chairperson of Paint the Town Pink.

This year, the grand total generated from the breakfast was approximately $10, 000. The money will be split among The Walsh Family Charities and The Pink Fund

Paint the Town Pink continues until May 7th, 2011. To see a list of events in your area, please visit http://paintthetownpink.com/