September 25, 2015

15th Annual Menlo Park Pancake Breakfast Benefits Burn Victims


Menlo Park, CA – Sept. 21, 2015 – One of the community’s favorite events, the 15th annual Pancake Breakfast will be held on Saturday, October 3 at the Menlo Park Fire District Headquarters at 300 Middlefield Road.

This popular annual event, co-sponsored by the Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula (JLPA•MP), the Menlo Park Firefighters Association, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, the Stanford Park Hotel and the Menlo Grill Bistro & Bar, benefits the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation. Volunteers will be flipping pancakes and serving breakfast at the fire station from 7:30 to 11 a.m. that morning.

Advance ticket purchase is not required; a suggested donation of $10 per adult and $5 per child will be requested at the door.

The event includes something for guests of all ages. Breakfast will feature pancakes cooked to perfection by the Menlo Park Firefighters, delicious Hobee’s coffee cake and Peet’s Coffee. Junior League volunteers are organizing several fun activities for kids. The Fire District will host a silent auction featuring items such as a visit with “Old Tom,” their antique fire truck at your birthday party or event, dinner at Menlo Grill Bistro & Bar, and a night stay at the Stanford Park Hotel.

“The Pancake Breakfast and open house at the fire station is a family favorite every year,” said Fire Marshal Jon Johnston of the Menlo Park Fire District. “It’s a pleasure to partner with the Junior League and other local community organizations to raise money for this worthy cause.”

“We’re honored to support the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation in their life-changing work with burn survivors,” said Jan Hickman, JLPA•MP President. “As the Junior League celebrates 50 years of volunteer service in the community, we look forward to this fun and important annual event.”

Last year’s breakfast raised approximately $8,000 for the Alisa Ann Ruche Burn Foundation, and organizers hope to top that number this year. Proceeds from the event help the foundation provide much-needed programs for burn survivors in California. In 2010, the Foundation worked closely with local hospitals handling burn victims of the San Bruno fire.

Junior League Celebrates 50 Years of Community Impact

Since its founding in 1965, the Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula has contributed thousands of volunteer hours to the local community, supported nearly 100 community service projects, and awarded grants to 192 area nonprofit organizations. In its 50 years, the League has tackled important social issues such as affordable housing, societal violence, literacy and education, homelessness, drug addiction, and at-risk children and youth.

The League has also played a key role in starting several local nonprofits, including The Tech Museum of Innovation, Daybreak Shelter, The Stanford Health Library, Rebuilding Together Peninsula, East Palo Alto Charter School, and Rosalie Rendu Center.

Additionally, delegates from JLPA•MP participate in the State Public Affairs Committee of the Junior Leagues of California (SPAC), a non-partisan education and advocacy organization representing more than 11,000 women voters. SPAC’s efforts have resulted in passage of two critical bills dealing with domestic violence (Senate Bill 563) and health care (Assembly Bill 40).

About the Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula, Inc.
The Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula, Inc. (JLPA•MP) is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The JLPA•MP serves the Peninsula communities of Atherton, Belmont, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, Stanford, Sunnyvale and Woodside, and invites women of all races, religions and national origins who demonstrate an interest in and commitment to voluntarism to join our ranks. For more information, visit www.thejuniorleague.org.

About the Menlo Park Firefighters Association
The Menlo Park Firefighters Association exists to protect, improve and preserve the lives of the citizens of the fire district and the members of the Firefighters Association. The motto of the Menlo Park Firefighters Association is "Our Family Helping Your Family." www.mpffa.org

About the Menlo Park Fire District
Formed in 1915, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District is located in the southern most part of San Mateo County. The Fire District covers the communities of Atherton, Menlo Park and East Palo Alto and some unincorporated areas of San Mateo County. The District has seven stations that are strategically placed to provide the most efficient response times. The District responds to approximately 8,500 emergencies a year with about 60% of them being emergency medical incidents.