Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Todd Smith of the Downtown Sioux Falls Lions Club about their 67th Annual Pancake Days.

from their website:

The Beginning of Pancake Days:

The first pancake days was in April of 1957 and was originally know as Aunt Jemima Pancake Days. Lion Marion Musgrave was the President and spearheaded the new fundraiser. Lion Wendell Hanson was on the public relations committee. He remembers Lion Al Schock inviting Aunt Jemima to the first pancake days. 



Lion Wendell came up with the idea of having a parade and presenting Aunt Jemima with the key to the city. Lion Burt Yagger was a City Commissioner of Streets at the time. He made a key that was 35 feet long and stretched from one side of 10th and Phillips Avenue to the other side. The parade had over 50 cars and 10th & Phillips Avenue was closed for the parade and presentation of the key. The Mayor spoke, the big key was swung across the street by a crane and Aunt Jemima was presented with a much smaller Black Hills Gold Key to the City. 



Pancake Days started that afternoon at the Coliseum. The line stretched 2 ½ blocks and patrons lined up 4 deep. It took almost 2 hours to get served in 1957. Lion Wendell remembers cooking on 4 old cast iron grills, which held 8 to 10 pancakes each. The line was so long that some Lions wanted to stop to save the embarrassment but the Lions (most of them WWI and WWII veterans) regrouped, bought more supplies and persevered. It is that foresight, hardship and determination that have given us the fantastic Lions Pancake Days we have today.



Pancake Days Today:

Each spring, the Sioux Falls Downtown Lions Club serves over 10,000 people during a 2-day event at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.  During the 16 hour pancake feed, approximately 60,000 pancakes and 38,000 sausages are served.  We have 11 grills staffed by trained Lions volunteers flipping 10,560 pancakes per hour to keep the line moving - typical wait time during rush hour is only 20-25 minutes.  Be sure to top it all off with a yummy scoop of Land-O-Lakes ice cream for only $1.00



Tickets are $7.00 each and are available for purchase at these Sioux Falls stores:  Lewis Drug, Hy-Vee, and Ace Hardware (door price is $9.00).  The proceeds from this event help aid the vision and hearing impaired and other charities in the community.  The public is invited to bring their old eyeglasses to be recycled and used by the needy.

Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Todd Smith of the Downtown Sioux Falls Lions Club about their 67th Annual Pancake Days.
from their website:
The Beginning of Pancake Days:
The first pancake days was in April of 1957 and was originally know as Aunt Jemima Pancake Days. Lion Marion Musgrave was the President and spearheaded the new fundraiser. Lion Wendell Hanson was on the public relations committee. He remembers Lion Al Schock inviting Aunt Jemima to the first pancake days. 
 
Lion Wendell came up with the idea of having a parade and presenting Aunt Jemima with the key to the city. Lion Burt Yagger was a City Commissioner of Streets at the time. He made a key that was 35 feet long and stretched from one side of 10th and Phillips Avenue to the other side. The parade had over 50 cars and 10th &amp; Phillips Avenue was closed for the parade and presentation of the key. The Mayor spoke, the big key was swung across the street by a crane and Aunt Jemima was presented with a much smaller Black Hills Gold Key to the City. 
 
Pancake Days started that afternoon at the Coliseum. The line stretched 2 ½ blocks and patrons lined up 4 deep. It took almost 2 hours to get served in 1957. Lion Wendell remembers cooking on 4 old cast iron grills, which held 8 to 10 pancakes each. The line was so long that some Lions wanted to stop to save the embarrassment but the Lions (most of them WWI and WWII veterans) regrouped, bought more supplies and persevered. It is that foresight, hardship and determination that have given us the fantastic Lions Pancake Days we have today.
 
Pancake Days Today:
Each spring, the Sioux Falls Downtown Lions Club serves over 10,000 people during a 2-day event at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.  During the 16 hour pancake feed, approximately 60,000 pancakes and 38,000 sausages are served.  We have 11 grills staffed by trained Lions volunteers flipping 10,560 pancakes per hour to keep the line moving - typical wait time during rush hour is only 20-25 minutes.  Be sure to top it all off with a yummy scoop of Land-O-Lakes ice cream for only $1.00
 
Tickets are $7.00 each and are available for purchase at these Sioux Falls stores:  Lewis Drug, Hy-Vee, and Ace Hardware (door price is $9.00).  The proceeds from this event help aid the vision and hearing impaired and other charities in the community.  The public is invited to bring their old eyeglasses to be recycled and used by the needy.

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