Arrive hungry.
That’s Rick Hugh’s advice to anyone thinking of coming down to the pancake breakfast on the Fairgrounds Sunday (May 19) during Rodeo Weekend.
Hugh, the chair of the Cloverdale Rodeo Youth Initiative Foundation and the 1st vice-president of the Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition Association, also encouraged fair-goers to “Bring your appetite.” He hopes many attend, not only for the good food, but to support the foundation.
“Any donation is appreciated,” added Hugh. “The pancake breakfast serves as an important fundraiser for the (Youth Initiative Foundation) in that it helps generate scholarship funds.”
And one doesn’t just get pancakes when they donate on Sunday morning at the rodeo—they also get free admission to the Fairgrounds.
The Youth Initiative Foundation supports students in the community by awarding scholarships and providing opportunities for young people to gain experience through volunteering, noted Hugh.
“The pancake breakfast has been a mainstay of the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair for a number of years,” he explained. “It began as a way to involve our youth volunteers in one more way to give back to the community.”
At its heart, Hugh said the pancake breakfast is a fundraiser.
“Besides the youth volunteers, people can expect to see local business people also donating their time, cooking expertise, and serving up delicious pancakes,” he added. “We also benefit from the generous donation of supplies from Save-On-Foods and others.”
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Hugh said Save-On-Foods has been a longtime sponsor.
The pancake breakfast will be held in the Hops & Vines venue, adjacent to the Showbarn. This is different from years past when it was located between Shannon Hall and the Alice McKay building.
“This new location is closer to Cowboy Church, a non-denominational service, open to all.”
Cowboy Church begins at 10 a.m. in the Stetson Bowl.
Anyone who comes to the pancake breakfast between 9 - 9:45 a.m. gets free admission to the Fairgrounds that day and the breakfast ends at 10:30 a.m.
Hugh said all moneys go to support scholarships for high school students.
Since 2014, the Cloverdale Rodeo Youth Initiative Foundation had awarded more than $70K in scholarships to kids in the Fraser Valley area.
“The majority of that support has been in the form of scholarships to Grade 12 students,” explained Hugh.
He said funds have also gone to support certain youth programs, such as: Ronald McDonald House, Sophie’s Place, the Centre For Child Development, the Juicebox Project, Operation Backpack, You Wear It Well, and more.
“The intent of our scholarships is to assist community minded youth in the pursuit of their post-secondary education and career goals,” Hugh added. “ What sets (us) apart from many other scholarship programs is that we focus more on service to school and community than we do on GPA.”
Hugh said the foundation’s scholarships fall into three categories.
“We have $1,000 scholarships that any graduating Grade 12 student can apply for,” said Hugh. “As with most scholarships, a successful applicant must provide proof of acceptance in an accredited post-secondary program to claim the funds.”
The next category is the $2,000 Isabella Olson Rising Above award.
“Isabella Olson was an amazing student who attended Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary,” explained Hugh. “Despite facing adversity, Isabella persevered and excelled in many areas. Sadly, Isabella passed away prior to graduating.”
He said the Isabella Olson award was established by her family in 2020 in Isabella’s memory and is awarded to a Lord Tweedmuir grad.
“Our third scholarship is brand new for 2024, after being established by the Gary & Gail Grelish Foundation,” revealed Hugh. “This $2,000 scholarship is open to any graduating student who has faced learning challenges in school.”
Hugh said the scholarship program for the Cloverdale Rodeo Youth Initiative Foundation would not function without the support of many people in the lower Fraser Valley.
“Thank you to (our) supporters,” added Hugh. “Our children are the most important investment we can make, and helping them build positive futures benefits all of us.”
For more info on the Cloverdale Rodeo Youth Initiative Foundation, visit cloverdalerodeofoundation.com.
For more info on the pancake breakfast, visit cloverdalerodeo.com.