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 It
was early morning in October as the sun began to peek over the eastern
horizon as we passed over Lake Harris. When we arrived at the Royal
Harbor Recreation Center, it was very quiet outside, but inside the main
hall of the center, there was a lot of activity going on.
Several residents were setting tables and
working in the kitchen preparing for an 8:00 AM opening. It was the
first Pancake Breakfast for the upcoming season, and the core group of
this activity, along with several other volunteers, was making sure that
everything was ready for the oncoming crowd.
This event takes place every month until May
of next year, and it is the third year that the breakfast has been one
of the many activities in Royal Harbor. There are four couples that
serve as the core group, Bob
 and
Sandy Burroughs, Steve and Jan Lazanis, Ted and Arlene Robbins, and Bob
and Loretta Garber. Additional volunteers help to insure that every
month there are four cooks, five servers, five cleanup people, and one
ticket taker at the door. As each breakfast is completed, sign-ups are
made for volunteers for the following month.
After meeting the many volunteers that were
working together, we enjoyed a very hearty breakfast for $5 (only $4 if
purchased ahead of time). We were presented with a glass of orange
juice, followed by a large plate of three pancakes, scrambled eggs,
sausage, and a fresh slice of cantaloupe. Both regular and sugar-free
maple syrup were available. Plenty of regular and decaffeinated coffee,
as well as tea, were also served as needed.
We also had the opportunity to meet and chat
with several of the residents, since the tables were set for ten people.
There were plenty of tables to accommodate everyone, so we did not feel
that we had to eat our breakfast in a hurry to allow for incoming
residents to be seated.
 At
8:00 AM, the crowd was small, but by 8:30 AM, all of the tables were
filled with hungry diners. As the Òearly birdsÓ completed their
breakfast and left to face the day, the table was re-set for the next
seating. Loretta Garber explained that all of the breakfasts last year
had at least 100 residents and friends attend the affair, and at the May
2004 breakfast, there were 176 people who enjoyed a hearty meal!
At each breakfast, two free tickets are
drawn for the next month's breakfast. The funds that are collected at
the door are used for breakfast supplies, as well as additional
equipment and decorations in the kitchen area. One of the kitchen area
improvements is the tiled pictures that have been added to the walls.
When we left at about 9:00 AM, we certainly
had plenty to eat, and we also met some of the friendly people who live
in Royal Harbor. This monthly event is just one example of the many
activities that allow fellow residents to get to know each other, in
addition to getting a good meal to start the day. [end]
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