Annual Lenox Brotherhood Pancake Breakfast returns

Keeping a long-standing tradition alive, dozens of people turned out to the 31st annual Brotherhood Pancake Breakfast at Lenox Elementary School on Feb. 14. 

“Our males of our community, our dads, our granddads, our uncles, our cousins, our brothers — we have over 40 dads that came here today to support you,” Principal Asheena Baez said to a crowded cafeteria. 

“There’s not an accident, family, that this is actually taking place during Black history Month,” she continued. “When you look around and you see the strong, real-life heroes this month, I want you to be so very proud of your fathers, be very proud of your grandfathers, be very proud that we come from a community that serves each other.” 

She presented an award to Andrew Brown, the coordinator of the Brotherhood Pancake Breakfast, and also recognized Gary Griggs, a former Lenox principal who started the breakfast in 1990 as a way to get more men involved in the school community. 

Every year, dozens of fathers, grandfathers, uncles and brothers of current and former Lenox students return to the school for the event to help set the tables, make pancakes and serve students. And every year it gets bigger and bigger.

“What he has created is nothing short of a miracle,” Baez said of Griggs. “I’m so honored to be the principal here because of the legacy he has put forth. It is very important that our children get to see people that look like them, that represent them in such an amazing way.”

Andy Castillo, Rolando Guadamuz and Richard Colnares were among the parents busy making pancakes behind the kitchen counter.

“It’s a great example for the kids to see fathers in the school, because, normally, Mom’s doing everything,” Brown said. “So now when they see Dad showing up and . . . participating, it kind of plants that seed to say, alright, now when I’m an adult, I have an example of what to do, so I’m going to do the same thing.”

“It’s important that we remember at Lenox, although we have 315 students, of those 315 students, it is important, specifically, that I speak to the young men,” Baez said. “Young men, I want you to know that your first teacher, your first teacher, is your father. And if your father, for whatever reason, is not present, you have 40 to choose from.