The men of Clanton First United Methodist Church have been whipping up all you can eat pancakes for 53 years now as part of the annual Pancake Day fundraiser.

At midnight on Saturday, Feb. 12, eight to 10 men from the church will begin cooking 300 pounds of sausage and more than 1,400 pancakes.

“This is a community event for the whole county,” said Dan Nolan, event chairman. “It’s not just for Methodists — it’s for all denominations all over the community.”

This year, 1,500 tickets will be sold at $4 per ticket.

Last year, more than 1,100 people were served, and in 2009, a record crowd of more than 1,300 lined up for a plateful of pancakes and sausage.

“We’re hoping for good weather this year – well, not really good weather, we need for it to be a little cool, so people can come out and eat pancakes with us,” said Nolan. “Last year, there was a hard freeze. The weather dropped down to 20 degrees, but more people came in after it warmed up a little.”

The event will be held in the church’s activity center from 5:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The fundraiser will benefit more than 50 individuals and agencies in need of funds such as Boys and Girl Scouts and foster families.

“We always have this event on the same date, every second Saturday in February; apparently, it’s a good week for us,” said Nolan. “We are inviting everyone to come out and enjoy the morning. We are hoping for a good turnout, and we all have good time.”

To purchase tickets or for more information contact the church at 755-0490.