Ron Fletcher, president of Citizens Fire Company, can always be found flipping pancakes at the annual Pancake Day fundraiser, this year set for March 1. Toni Milbourne

CHARLES TOWN — Citizens Fire Company has scheduled Pancake Day — an annual event that raises significant funding for the volunteer company — for Shrove Tuesday, March 1. The event, like so many, was canceled in 2021, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“We are so happy to be able to resume our annual Pancake Day this year,” said company president Ron Fletcher. “Everyone looks forward to this event every year and not having it was a huge downer to the entire community.”

The event serves as the company’s largest fundraiser; however, it is much more than a money-maker for those who host and those who attend.

“Not being able to have the event last year was disappointing, not only to us at Citizens but to the community as a whole,” Fletcher said.

Company members and community volunteers are gearing up for the event, when preparation begins at approximately 3:30 a.m. Doors will open at 6 a.m. and the line will form early, as hungry community members plan to start their day with pancakes, sausage, gravy and eggs.

Breakfast attendees have the choice of eggs with their meal, as the cooking crew will be cracking until 11 a.m. Those who arrive with the lunch and dinner crowds will be able to partake of the remaining offerings until the end of Pancake Day at 7 p.m.

According to Fletcher, the event has been held for more than 60 years, feeding anywhere between 1,800-2,400 on average in recent years.

“We’re looking at [making] about 6,000-10,000 pancakes,” he laughed.

Those numbers may be on the rise, however, as attendees look forward to returning to some type of normalcy, following two years of COVID-19 restrictions.

“The community support that has been shown already this year is unbelievable,” Fletcher said, referencing the interaction on social media promoting Pancake Day, as well as word-of-mouth in public.

“It has truly been overwhelming already!” Fletcher said. “We are grateful to be able to get back to normal.”