Liam McNally
Pancakes are a staple childhood favourite, and this week the children at Bacchus Marsh Montessori Uniting Kindergarten have been learning how to prepare the delicious dish while raising money for an important cause.
Pancake Day, traditionally known as Shrove Tuesday is last day before the start of Lent, a Christian period of fasting, prayer and reflection in the run-up to Easter.
It references the old tradition of using up all the luxury goodies in the pantry, such as flour, butter and eggs, before the Lenten period of abstinence.
For 21 years the Uniting Church of Victoria and Tasmania has been raising critical funds on the day through the sale of pancakes for their community services organisation Uniting Vic.Tas.
Bacchus Marsh Montessori Uniting Kindergarten got behind Pancake Day, which this year was on February 21, with an entire week of pancake-making.
Kindergarten kids helped collect eggs from on-site chickens, measure ingredients, make batter, and cook (with adult supervision) yummy pancakes.
The pancakes were then made available to students, staff and parents at pick-up time for a gold coin donation.
By midweek, the kindergarten had already raised $250, and Montessori Uniting Kindergarten service leader Caroline Hay said the children, staff and families “all enjoyed preparing delicious pancakes and feeling good about raising funds to help others”.
“It was fantastic that we could feel a connection with the wider community,” she said.
Uniting Vic.Tas chief executive Bronwyn Pike said since 2002, Uniting’s Pancake Day events have raised millions for Uniting’s community services which support some of the most
vulnerable people across Victoria and Tasmania.
“Whether it’s putting food on the table of a family in need, providing crisis accommodation or training new foster carers, you’re helping local people who need it the most,” she said.
