Pancakes, sausage and orange juice will be served Saturday morning during the Homecoming 2.5K Race and Parade.

The Charleston Rotary Club will be having the 13th annual Rotary Pancake Breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the parking lot of Dirty’s Bar and Grill.

Tim Silence, the director of community service for the Rotary club, said the breakfast is a good way to start the morning.

The Rotary decided to serve pancakes, sausage and juice to people attending the Homecoming festivities would be a good idea, Silence said.

Silence said they will be setting up a tent at Dirty’s and Eastern will be providing tables and chairs.

Jake Meding, a graduate assistant in the Student Life Office, said the breakfast is the Rotary’s way of supporting Homecoming.

“It really involves the community in Homecoming, because it goes along with the Homecoming Parade,” Meding said. “People can sit in Dirty’s or they are going to do seating out in front to watch the parade.”

Meding said they have the breakfast because it feeds the crowds for the Homecoming events.

“It’s a nice hot meal, while watching all the floats go by and the marching bands,” Meding said.

This is the first year the breakfast has not been located in the Domino’s Pizza parking lot.

“Dominos has been closed down for about a year now, so there is nothing there that we can use,” Silence said.

He said in order to have the breakfast, the club need access to electricity to cook the food.

“Dirty’s have graciously stepped forward,” Silence said.

Silence said Dirty’s has also said they will allow people to sit inside if the weather is bad.

He said the breakfast is a good social event.

“I’m looking forward to support from the community and the student community,” Silence said.

Meding agreed.

“It’s a good way to bring the students and the community together and to really support Eastern,” Meding said.  “It shows the collaboration between the town and the university.”

Silence said the money raised by go to a scholarship fund for students from Charleston who attend Eastern.

Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under and can be purchased during the event or from a member of the Rotary Club.

Meding said this is his first year attending the breakfast.

“I’m pretty excited because I love pancakes,” Meding said.

 Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.