The smell of batter and sausages sizzling on the hot stovetop will waft through the halls of Dowagiac Union High School later this month, as the members of the Optimist Club host their 34th annual Pancake Breakfast Saturday, April 15.

The fundraiser will take place from 7 to 11 a.m. in the high school cafeteria. Tickets cost $5 for adults and $4 for children 12 and younger as well as for senior citizens, and can be purchased at the door or from Optimist Club members before the event.

On the menu that morning will be pancakes and sausage, served with maple syrup, fruit juice and coffee.

Around a dozen members of the Dowagiac service organization will volunteer their services to the breakfast.

“We take over the kitchen that morning,” said Optimist Club member Jeremy Truitt. “The breakfast is cooked by members of the club.”

The Dowagiac Optimist Club has organized the event in partnership with the school district for more than 30 years, Truitt said. The club hosts the breakfast in conjunction with the annual Chieftain Invitational, offering a convenient, on-location spot for hungry athletes, parents and spectators to grab a bite to eat before or after hitting the field that morning.

“It [the tournament] is the de facto kick off to spring in Dowagiac,” Truitt said. “There is a softball and soccer tournament that day, as well as baseball. The schools are a hub of activity, and the Optimist Club has played a central role every year.”

As in previous years, the Optimists will use proceeds from the breakfast to pay for its annual college scholarship, the Dowagiac Optimist Club Dave Strlekar Memorial Scholarship, named in honor of the organization’s former president, who died in 2014. Last year, the group awarded the scholarship to DUHS senior DeYonte Sullivan.

The Dowagiac Optimist Club, like other Optimist organizations across the U.S., is devoted to improving the lives of local children, Truitt said. On top of its college scholarship, the group also organizes the annual Halloween parade and costume contest, and donates to causes such as the Dowagiac Middle School Five Star afterschool program.

“It is a great group of people [who] do positive things in the community,” he said. “We don’t do a ton of events, but the ones we do, we do very well. That is shown by our track record. Running a breakfast for 34 years is an impressive feat.”

People with additional questions or who would like to purchase tickets may contact Optimist Club president Steven Grinnewald at (269) 783-2614 or secretary Jessica Kehrer at (269) 983-6357.

“Come out for a good community activity — and bring a friend,” Truitt said.