Lake Co. firefighters serving breakfast

At the Flaming Flapjacks Pancake Breakfast, firefighters in chef's hats will serve a hearty, all-you-can-eat breakfast of fluffy pancakes, sausage, muffins, coffee and all the trimmings. The breakfast will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 18, at the Long Grove Fire Protection District, 1165 Old McHenry Road, Long Grove.

Admission is $6, free for kids 3 and under, which will go to the South Lake County Community Emergency Response Team, which serves Lake Zurich, Hawthorn Woods, Kildeer and Long Grove. Mayors and Public Officials of those towns, new or returning after the recent election, were invited to flip pancakes for charity, and several are expected.

CERT volunteers ages 18 and up assist firefighters and emergency personnel in situations from household fires to 911-type emergencies. These volunteers are provided training in basic disaster response skills, including fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations.

The breakfast will include live acoustic guitar music by Thomas Swenson, a silent auction with items like an escorted ride in a fire engine and police squad car, a raffle and a safety puppet show with Freddie the Firefighter at 10:30 a.m. Face painting, crafts and other children's activities are also planned.

The event is copresented by the Long Grove Firefighters Association to help area firefighters and their families during financial crises due to death or serious illness. The fundraiser is co-sponsored by Chicago Outdoor Media, Smokin' T's BBQ, Weichert Realty, Long Grove Business & Community Partners, Sprint, Monarch Hospice and Palliative Care, American Enterprise Bank, McDonald's and organizations.

The indoor event will be held rain or shine. For information, call the Fire Station at (847) 634-3035, visitlonggroveonline.com/news.html or e-mail dhardy@comcast.net.