It was a success once again. Veterans and the community enjoyed breakfast together at the Ninth Annual Community Veterans’ Day Pancake Breakfast in Kinder on November 4, at the Grand Church in Kinder.
This year’s event served 407 people, according to Eric Kuyper, organizer of the event and commander of the Alvin L. Nevils American Legion Post 244.
Everyone was able to choose from sausage patties (donated by Patriot Brothers Wild Game Processing LLC in Basile), sausage links (donated by Chadeaux’s Cajun Kitchen), bacon (donated by Rhea’s Specialty Meats in Basile), scrambled eggs, fruit, pancakes, Borden’s® orange juice and milk and Community Coffee®. Students from Kinder’s BETA and FBLA organizations served the food during the event.
The morning also was filled with lots of other activities including awards given to supporters and Voice of Democracy winners. Awards were given to Draven Upshaw, first place, $100; Gentry Parker, second place, $50; and Breeanna Hebert, third place, $25. They will compete at the next level. If they reach the national level, the winner will receive a $35,000 scholarship.
Veterans also recognized Joey Haigler, American Legion Post 244 Legionnaire of the Year. The 2023 Sponsor of the Year was Kinder Tire and Auto, which was presented to Donna Walker at the event. The 2023 Veteran Business of the Year was Patriot Brothers Wild Game Processing LLC in Basile. Ben Fontenot accepted the award that morning.
The veterans were selling raffle tickets. Just over 1,000 tickets, were sold. Raffle winners were Linda Gradney, golf cart, valued over $12,000; Ramsey Vincent, bucket of gift cards to area restaurants, valued over $615; and Tammy Cole, rocking chair made by veterans at the Allen Parish Correctional Center.
Cole Ogea donated a custom-made knife and presented it to the winner, Jimmy Anderson.
Commander Kuyper said they had five new members join Post 244 that morning. These five new members met a goal the Legionnaires had set eight years ago when Kuyper took over as commander.
Kuyper thanked the community, sponsors and veterans who helped to make the event a success. “We would like to thank all our veterans and the community for attending. Thank you to all our sponsors and donors, as well as veterans’ organizations like Louisiana Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Wounded Warrior Project, for helping our veterans in the community. We can’t do this event without the volunteers (more than 50 of them) that help with coordination, setting up the event and cleaning up after the volunteers make the event the success it is.”
“If you think this year’s breakfast was awesome, hold on because 2024 is going to be even bigger. It will be the 10th annual pancake breakfast and the 80th birthday party of American Legion Post 244,” he said. “We need 500 people to come out next year and 200 veterans. There will be more food, more entertainment, larger prizes and, most of all, thanking our vets in a big way.”
