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11/02/2016 08:00 AMMany years ago the North Haven Rotary Club hosted a pancake breakfast, but the event fell to the wayside. Eight years ago, several members of the club suggested revisiting the idea and now the eighth annual pancake breakfast will be on Sunday, Nov. 6 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at North Haven High School (NHHS).
“It’s been wonderful and has been growing year after year,” says Mary Minotti, who’s chairing this year’s event with help from Brian Coughlin. “The pancake breakfast is great because it’s a community event that brings families together from kids to senior citizens.”
For $5, attendees at the breakfast will get all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage, orange juice, coffee, tea, and live entertainment. Veterans eat for free and part of the entertainment will honor those who served.
Dan Riccio of the American Legion will lead a flag ceremony and Donna Minotti, the daughter of Mary and her husband Mark, will sing the “Star Spangled Banner.” Veterans will then proceed to the North Haven Town Green for a ceremony at 11 a.m.
“It’s a nice way of combining the two events,” says Mary. “It’s a great way to show the veterans that their service is appreciated.”
In addition to honoring veterans, Rotary is also co-hosting the fifth annual Tessa Marie Memorial 5K and Fun Run that day. Proceeds from the race benefit the Tessa Marie fund, which helps underprivileged children, as well as the North Haven Food Bank. The race begins and ends at NHHS.
Proceeds from the pancake breakfast will help Rotary with its mission of helping the community. Proceeds from events like the pancake breakfast benefit children’s community events, local sports, Special Olympics, musical competition teams, and scholarship funds for students at NHHS, Gateway Community College, and Quinnipiac University.
One of Mary’s favorite things about Rotary is all the work the club does for children. She teaches at the Music Center of North Haven and many of her students have volunteered to perform at Rotary events over the years, including the pancake breakfast.
“I love kids and I’ve taught a gazillion students,” says Mary. “I believe that children are our future and when you give them a wonderful foundation, they grow up to be wonderful adults. North Haven is a kid-friendly community that does a lot with the kids. It’s a wonderful place to be.”
Mary and Mark have enjoyed instilling a love for music in their children. Their son also teaches at the Music Center of North Haven while pursuing his master’s degree at University of Massachusetts. Their daughter recently won best vocalist at the Acts of Broadway Competition in New York City.
Their children have not only followed in their footsteps musically, but they’re also helping others in the community, too. When their daughter heard of a young child with cancer who wanted an Olaf pillow (the snowman from the movie Frozen) for Christmas, she took it into her own hands.
“Donna saw the need, proceeded to raise money for this pillow, and got other Rotarians and the Interact Clubs in Middletown and North Haven to raise money,” says Mary. “She not only got the pillow, but a Toys R Us gift card, too. Children learn through example. It’s why you do what you do, why you get up in the morning.”
While Mary and Mark haven’t had a band together since their oldest was three years old, they haven’t stopped working alongside each other. Eight years ago, a friend suggested they join the North Haven Rotary Club.
“Joining the Rotary was the best thing we’ve ever done,” says Mary. “My husband and I have always donated to the community and donated our time, our students have donated their talents to various events. John Grave said, ‘You guys should really become Rotarians.’ We didn’t know what that was and he explained they do things to help people or raise money to help people and invited us to a meeting.”
The North Haven Rotary Club meets Tuesday mornings at the Breakfast Nook at 7 a.m. Mary and Mark attended the first meeting and haven’t looked back. The couple liked that the Rotary not only made a difference in their community, but worldwide as well, as the North Haven Rotary Club is part of Rotary International.
Mary recalled different fundraisers, such as a telethon featuring local musicians, to help after the earthquake in Haiti and the tsunami in Japan. The club is now involved in an international project to help the Lakota Indians in North Dakota build a school.
“It’s definitely a group effort and 100 percent of proceeds go where they’re supposed to go,” says Mary. “We’ve always given to the community, but when we joined the Rotary, it was about giving to the community on a grander scale. We’re a big family and enjoy raising money to give to people in need.”
Mary has also taught CCD for more than two decades at St. Barnabas Church. In addition to planning for the pancake breakfast, Mary and the Rotary Club are also preparing for Veterans Day when a group of Rotarians will clean up a veterans’ yard.
The club also recently completed its Dictionary Project through which it donates dictionaries to all of the students in 3rd grade at the four elementary schools in town. Donna Mae Cangiano is heading up a coat drive, seeking new or gently used coats for those in need.
“The pancake breakfast means a lot as far as what it means to be a Rotarian because community service is very important to us,” says Mary. “Our motto is ‘Service above self.’ There are a lot of people out there who really believe this who aren’t Rotarians who should check out the Rotary because it would be a perfect fit.”
For tickets to the pancake breakfast, call Mary at 203-234-8865 or 203-435-2282. For information on joining the North Haven Rotary Club, contact LuAnn Buono at l.buono@snet.net.