Crowds filtered into the Hilton Thursday morning for hot pancakes, live music and Christmas cheer. The second annual pancake breakfast fundraiser for the Burnaby Christmas Bureau drew an estimated 600 to 700 people and $20,000 in donations of toys and cash.
The yearly fundraiser is organized by Scotiabank, the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown and the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society, which brought 160 firefighters out to help.
All of the toys collected and money raised go to the Burnaby Christmas Bureau, which provides gifts for children from low-income families and hampers for seniors during the holidays.
The fundraiser was broadcast on Breakfast Television, and various musicians, including blues legend Jim Byrnes, performed for the crowds.
“It’s amazing how the community got together to support the Christmas Bureau,” said Jeff Clark, vice-president of the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society. Clark said Hilton staff were up at three in the morning, preparing the room and the food.
– Jennifer Moreau
