Once again on Friday, the Goshen community showed what it’s made of.
The outpouring of support for the Salvation Army’s 46th annual Pancake Day was nothing short of remarkable.
Big increases in the number of corporate and business sponsorships, and higher advance ticket sales led organizers to predict the annual fund-raiser would bring in more than $42,000 this year, $4,000 more than last year’s record. And Friday’s unseasonably warm temperatures almost guaranteed a record turnout, which may push the total of money raised even higher.
By mid-day on Friday, the Salvation Army was on pace to serve well over 2,000 people, and although that size of crowd is key to the event’s success, the true significance of the day is more than just people showing up to eat pancakes and sausage.
For one thing, there is sponsorship of the event by Goshen industries, businesses and individuals. Corporate sponsorship this year was up 22 percent and table sponsorships were up by 33 percent, guaranteeing a financially successful day before the first pancake was even flipped.
Then there are the pancake flippers. Volunteers from Goshen’s service clubs and many other organizations showed up to cook and serve the pancakes and sausages, and quickly clean and reset the tables when people were finished, allowing the turnover necessary to serve more than 2,000 people in one day in a relatively small space.
And finally, there are all the in-kind donations of goods and services, including some of the food served on Friday. By not having to pay for those goods and services, the Salvation Army can use nearly all of the money raised to fund its programs.
The phrase “When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” has been rendered trite by overuse, but that’s the phrase that comes to mind when contemplating the Salvation Army’s Pancake Day in 2009.
Economically, times are tough in Goshen and Elkhart County, and the need for the kind of services provided by the Salvation Army, like food and financial help with rent and utilities, has never been greater.
And that’s what makes the community’s response to Pancake Day so gratifying. When the Salvation Army needed its help the most, the Goshen community stepped up, donating and sponsoring and volunteering as never before.
As he observed the steady line of diners and the busy volunteers scurrying around to feed them, one volunteer remarked, “You know, this speaks volumes about the values of this community.”
We could not agree more.
