Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Lake Bluff & Lake Forest, this award is given to a graduating senior who has been involved with community service throughout his or her high school career.

Award Recipients

Each award winner has demonstrated a sense of caring, concern, and willingness to be involved in addressing community issues through individual or organizational activities.

2017 Recipient: Bailey Lawrence, Lake Forest community High School District 115

Bailey's ability and creativity to produce videos for organizations such as; Bravo Waukegan, GLASA, North Chicago Elementary School, Lake Bluff Public Library, and To Write Love on Her Arms, not only raises awareness and funds but allows her to demonstrate her passion of filmmaking. Bailey said, "The true reason I love filmmaking is because it gives me the power to impact people and tell a story and that's what I will continue to do in college and the rest of my life. The values I've learned from taking these small but meaningful roles are what make me… me."

Congratulations Allen for being awarded this year’s Kiwanis Tradition of Service Award.

2016 Recipient: Allen Yuan, Lake Forest community High School District 115

Beginning as a freshman and continuing throughout his four years at LFHS, Allen Yuan created a presence; not just his stellar academic achievements or his talents in music, and not just that he was a volunteer at school events and helped community organizations, but how Allen blended all three attributes equally. As someone once said, “Generosity is the Heart of Humanity.” That is Allen Yuan.

Congratulations Allen for being awarded this year’s Kiwanis Tradition of Service Award.

Start your 4th of July day with a pancake breakfast on the Village Green. Afterwards, enjoy the Lake Bluff Parade.

Food Sponsors

• Heinen's Grocery Store
• Sunset Foods
• Starbucks
• McDonald's

Financial Sponsors - Gold Level

• Knauz Motors
• Marven Design Gallery by Estate Windows
• Pasquesi
• Lesser Lutry McGlynn & Howe LLP
• Sheppard LLC
• Lynch Construction
• UPS Store

Financial Sponsors - Silver Level

• Lake Forest Bank & Trust
• Roundout Service Center
• McDonalds's
• Mariani Landscape
• Inovasi

History of the 4th of July Pancake Breakfast

Since its beginning in 1972, the event has become a cornerstone of the Village's 4th of July festivities. The breakfast was the brain child of then club president Dick Roman and members including Dean Holm and Tom Olson who thought it would be a great method for raising funds for charity. It clearly was in that over $85,000 has been raised benefiting local charities over the years.

The 1972 event did not enjoy the tactical expertise that will guide this year's program. Kiwanis began the event with no equipment. Dean Holm recalls that grills were borrowed from the Boy Scouts and tables were borrowed from the Union Church. Tom Olson has served as master of batter preparation for every breakfast. He recalls that early they ran out of batter. Members had to rush to their homes to gather up whatever they had because the stores were closed. In the early days Marv Hackbath, proprietor of the Village Market, gave the club space for mixing batter. In recent years Inovasi has generouly provided the space. Phil Minorini, proprietor of the service station that stood on the corner of Sheridan and Scranton provided one of the oil changing bays for members like Tom Killiam to brew the coffee. Gordon Lackie flipped the pancakes.

Since that time many local businesss have stepped up with support for the event. Currently, The Daily Grind, Starbucks, Sunset Foods and McDonald's provide Kiwanis with batter, sausage, coffee, syrup and orange juice for the event. In addition, succeeding generations of Kiwanians have taken over the pancake flipping, serving, and other duties.

There have been some stressful events over the years, but the breakfast has never been rained out. One year the skies threatened all morning, but held off only to drench the parade following the breakfast with 2" of rain. Holm recalls several other threats that challenged the Kiwanis team. The coffee ran out early one time, for example, and members had to calm the troops of caffeine seekers who were getting restless until replenishment arrived. At other times Kiwanians had to make mad dashes to replenish supplies of orange juice and other condiments. Holm again recalls running out of sausage one year. The club made an immediate decision to drop the price of the breakfast to compensate. Pete Porett recalls the year Kiwanis rented a truck to move chairs and tables from the Union Church. The truck was loaded at the Church and as Pete pulled away everyone noticed smoke coming up from under the vehicle's hood. The Lake Bluff police and fire department responded even as they were preparing for the Fire-men's Ball. The fully loaded truck was then towed to the Gurnee rental agency and a transfer of furniture was made to a replacement truck. The table and chair set up was completed after midnight and Kiwanians still had to post for breakfast duty at 5:30am that morning.

Kiwanis is constantly building on its experience to improve the event each year. Holm, for example, said that the biggest logistic challenge over the years has been the length of the lines that develop during peak demand times. Two year's ago, we instituting two serving lines.

The 4th of July Pancake Breakfast brings the community together on this important day. Residents sit down with police officers and fire fighters. Families and friends gather to share festivities. Kiwanis estimates that 800 to 900 breakfasts have been served each year. That amounts to somewhere between 34,000 and 38,000 breakfasts served in 43 years. That's a lot of pancakes!

Kiwanis thanks you and your family for celebrating the Country's' Independence and hope you'll join us for our 45th Annual 4th of July Pancake Breakfast.

Enjoy burgers and hot dogs immediately following the Lake Bluff Parade on the Village Green.

Come Join Us.
To learn more click on image to right;.

Please donate freely
on 9/22 & 9/23.

Friday, 9/22 and Saturday, 9/23 you will see members on the street corners in Lake Bluff as well as at Sunset Foods in Lake Forest collecting money to help support children's causes.

If you would like purchase a box of peanuts (100 bags), please e-mail us at KiwanisLBLF@aol.com.  They're perfect for putting out at business checkout counter and wonderful alternative for Halloween candy.

The cost of a box of peanuts is $100.

Come Join Us for Trunk or Treat on
Friday, October 21st

The Kiwanis Club of Lake Bluff & Lake Forest, has joined the fun, by decorating their trunk. Bring your children for some candy and enjoy a night out in Lake Bluff.

Children must register through the Lake Bluff Park District.

Hours

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location

Blair Park Parking Lot

355 W. Washington Ave.

Lake Bluff, IL 60044

Come join us on December 9th
Grace United Methodist Church
Lake Bluff, IL

The Kiwanis Club of Lake Bluff & Lake Forest, in conjunction with the Lake Bluff Park District, will be holding their annual Pancake Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 9th, from 8-11am at the Grace United Methodist Church, 244 East Center Avenue, Lake Bluff.

Tickets, available at the door, are free for children age 2 and under, $7.50 for children ages 3-10 and $10 for ages 11 and over. Proceeds from the breakfast will donated to local charities in keeping with Kiwanis International's mission to "Serve the Children of the World" through both global and local initiatives.

Come join us on December 9th
First Presbyterian Church
Lake Forest, IL

Saturday, December 10th, from 8-11am at the First Presbyterian Church, 700 N. Sheridan Road, Lake Forest.

Tickets, available at the door, are free for children age 2 and under, $7.50 for children ages 3-10 and $10 for ages 11 and over. Proceeds from the breakfast will donated to local charities in keeping with Kiwanis International's mission to "Serve the Children of the World" through both global and local initiatives.