The Charleston Rotary Club gives back to fight polio and other causes with its pancake breakfast Saturday.

The event starts at 6:30 a.m. and runs until 11 a.m. at the Domino’s Pizza parking lot on Lincoln Avenue. Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for children under 10.

Charles Eberly, a retired professor for counseling and student development, said he started the event to provide safe entertainment for students.

“It was designed to bring people together on campus,” Eberly said. “It was supposed to be an alternative to the beer breakfasts and misbehavior.”

Bill Moore, manager of Mack Moore Shoes, said when he came on board two years ago, he had help from Eberly and others in running the event.

Moore said Eberly originally started the breakfast as a fundraiser.

“Initially it was for charities,” Moore said. “It pays for several programs like the ‘I Like Me’ literacy project.”

Moore said the rotary club is also teamed to eradicate polio with Bill Gates and the late Steve Jobs.

Andy Methven, president of the Charleston Rotary Club, said he joined in 2004, and planned the event as a community service project.

Methven said the money donated by both the rotary club and the Bill Gates Foundation goes towards traveling to small countries to eradicate polio for a charity group called Polio Plus.

“For a long time, we’ve been involved in eradicating polio once and for all,” Methven said. “The Bill Gates Foundation puts up $350,000, and if we can match it, then we can travel to small countries to eradicate polio.”

Eberly said their relationship with Domino’s is the catalyst that puts the entire event together, and is important because the parade passes through Domino’s.

“Domino’s has been magnificent in letting us use their facilities,” Eberly said. “It’s a wonderful relationship we have with them. Domino’s has been a great community service partner for us.”

Methven agrees with Eberly about their relationship with Domino’s.

“As long as we’re in and out, they’re easy to work with,” Methven said.

Jose Gonzalez can be reached at 581-2812 and jlgonzalez@eiu.edu