A Benefit Breakfast

If you’re anything like me, you’re already thinking about your next meal and and how you’re going to get away with not cooking it.  Well, on Saturday morning, we have a great plan already set in motion for you!

Our church family at the Hillsboro United Methodist Church (537 Rountree St.) is hosting its annual pancake and sausage breakfast as a benefit for Grace and to help our family offset the costs of taking her to New Jersey for the first-ever clinical trial.

Charlotte loved her Mickey Mouse pancake last year.

Before I get too far along, here’s the details on how you can participate. Church volunteers will be serving pancakes and sausage in the fellowship hall from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 9. Donations will be accepted for the meal. And I’ve heard there will even be Mickey Mouse pancakes for the kiddos!

We feel so blessed that our church family has offered to help us out this year. For many years now, our church has hosted this breakfast and raised funds for local families or groups. This year, organizers knew we would have added expenses in taking Grace to New Jersey so she could be part of the clinical trial. This year, we will have three trips out east and one next February at the completion of the trial.

The trial itself is free for Grace to participate in. We don’t have to pay for any of the medicine or any of the testing or appointments that go with it. However, we do have to pay for the travel to get out there, which has included gas, hotel stays, airfare and meals. We try to be pretty thrifty when we can, but this benefit will definitely help us out in making sure we have everything covered.

It’s always a really neat day too. When Kyle and I first got married, we used to volunteer on the Friday evening before the benefit to help set up tables and get everything ready. You see, Kyle and I aren’t exactly what you call “early risers,” so the Friday night set up worked much better for us than actually having to be there by like 5 a.m. (which we almost never see . . . )

Since having kids, it’s gotten harder for us to volunteer, but we always try to make it to eat there and support our church and the community they are helping that particular year. Last year, it fell on the same day as Charlotte’s first birthday party, so we didn’t get to eat there, but we managed to get a to-go order and eat at home.  She was thrilled with her Mickey Mouse pancake, and I’m sure she will love it just as much this year!

Our family is planning to be there that morning to enjoy some awesome breakfast and say thanks to everyone who continues to support us on our Grace-Filled Journey. You probably won’t find us there when it starts at 7 a.m., but we look forward to being there. We hope to see you there too!

mlh