Martinsburg residents Chris and Stacey Cushwa pose with the Easter Bunny and their children — nine-year-old twins Ellie and Ginna, six-year-old Lucas and three-year-old Hazel — at the Breakfast With the Easter Bunny in the Blue Moon Cafe on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The Shepherdstown Centennial Lions Club’s annual “Breakfast With the Easter Bunny” fundraiser kicked off the Easter celebrations in Shepherdstown on Saturday morning.

The fundraiser, established in 2018, is held in partnership with the Blue Moon Cafe every year, according to club president Barbara Thomas.

“So far, Breakfast With the Easter Bunny has been going great today,” Thomas said.

Thomas and many other club members could be found keeping busy throughout the three-hour-long event, serving up freshly cooked pancakes, sausage, bacon and eggs from the cafe’s kitchen. Three of the cafe’s cooks, along with three other staff members, volunteered their time to open the business early and prepare the food for the event, according to Blue Moon Cafe general manager Tabitha Dolan.

“We like to help the Lions Club in any way we can, because we know that they do so much good in our community,” Dolan said. “As long as we have a great outcome, the extra hours of work are worth it. It’s wonderful to see, every year, how happy this event makes the children!”

Dolan noted that the cafe is so committed to continuing the event, that they purchased an Easter Bunny costume, so that one of their staff members could play the Easter Bunny for it every year.

One of the families who took pictures with the Easter Bunny at this year’s breakfast, was the Cushwa family from Martinsburg. Parents Chris and Stacey Cushwa posed with their four children — nine-year-old twins Ellie and Ginna, six-year-old Lucas and three-year-old Hazel — after enjoying a filling breakfast together.

“We’ve been to this event before, but it’s been several years since then. I think our oldest kids were probably the age of our youngest, the last time we were here,” Stacey said. “I like that it’s laid back and easy for families to participate in.”

Some new attendees were also in the mix at this year’s breakfast, including Shepherdstown resident Susan Hall-West, who with her husband brought their five-year-old grandson to the event.

“Our grandson just moved to the area,” Hall-West said, mentioning she hopes to turn this into an annual tradition. “It’s such a wonderful thing for the kids! And it’s such a fantastic way to do a fundraiser.”

Funds raised from the breakfast will go toward supporting the Shepherdstown Centennial Lions Club’s many community service projects, including offering free eye screenings in local schools, helping with the replacement of the historic War Memorial Building’s roof and funding local events of cultural significance, such as the Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea.

“All of the money that comes into the Lions Club goes back out into the community,” said club treasurer Cheryl Roberts. “We don’t use any of that for parties or making T-shirts, or anything like that — we want our money to do the most possible good for the most possible people in our area.”