Members of the Hampden Sheriff's Department team took a break Saturday to partake of the Spirit of Springfield's Pancake Breakfast in downtown Springfield.
Lines leading to the pancake kitchens at Tower Square and State and Main streets ran for almost an entire block Saturday as the 35th Spirit of Springfield and MGM Springfield Pancake Breakfast kicked off, the first such celebration in two years.
The COVID-19 pandemic shut down public celebrations in 2020 and 2021. That included the Pancake Breakfast and people were ready to come back and that became very evident as more and more hungry people lined up for their serving and hustled to get a place at the table.
Kristine DeNucce and Tyrone Simms found a great place not far from the servers. While they used to live in Springfield’s downtown and attended regularly before they moved away, their teenage sons had never been to the breakfast.
“We used to come all the time,” Kristine said. “We now have two sons who have never been so we thought now that it is back, we should come down.”
“It has been a while since we had been here,” Tyrone said. This is a great experience, and the weather is great. This year things worked out, and it is a good year to be here.”
Javier Simms had to agree with his parents. He took a break from his stack to allow that while early mornings are not his thing — he likes to sleep in —the breakfast was worth waking up for.
“I wasn’t going to come out here because I didn’t feel like waking up,” he said. “But I’m glad we did. It looks like a fun experience, so, I’m happy we came out after all.”
Judy Matt, the president of the Spirit of Springfield said that originally the breakfast started out as a competition between Springfield and Battle Creek, Michigan to see which city could stage the biggest breakfast. Over the years each city worked to outdo the other until Springfield finally took the prize. To this day the nearly 2,000 or so foot-long table remains the undisputed longest breakfast table in the world, and a great community booting event.
Along with the breakfast itself, upwards of more than 36 commercial vendors set up shop along Main Street and in Court Square. Matt said that is an increase of over 30 percent compared to years past.
Background music was provided by the Springfield High School of Science and Technology Band as the students laid down some jazz grooves and contemporary tunes.
But it takes a lot to fill that table and the estimated 12,000 breakfast eaters sitting at it, and Spirit Vice President Amy Barron Burke said a wealth of companies have stepped up to provide everything. Starting with who sets up the table.
Matt said workers from Gleason Johndrow Landscaping were at the site Friday working to get each table section in place in time for morning chow.
While that was going on, food workers at Mercy Hospital were preparing about 500 gallons of pancake batter. That with about 1,000 pounds of Smithfield bacon, which was cooked up by the Hampden Sheriff’s Department, several hundred pounds of Cabot Creamery butter and gallons of Hood half and half and whole milk for coffee and drinking. Another 500 gallons of orange juice was also donated.
“Everything except the table and chairs was donated,” Burke said.
Dave Spafford was at the breakfast, and like Javier Simms, it was his first time.
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