8:30 AM: That’s Al‘s plate at the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle‘s benefit pancake breakfast, happening right now at the Alki Masonic Center (40th/Edmunds in The Junction), continuing until 11 am. Only $10 at the door (kids are free with paying adults) gets you pancakes, ham, juice, coffee, tea … free Santa photo, and if you have new unwrapped toys to donate, a Toys for Tots drive too. More photos to come!

10:12 AM: Tons of toys, and as seen above, more kept arriving – we were there about midway through the four-hour event. Lots of people enjoying pancakes, too!

Lots of smiles with the Kiwanis’s kitchen crew:

This runs on volunteer power, including Scouts from Troop/Pack 284 who are helping serve:

Marines including Cpl. E4 Devan Sanchez are there for the toy drive, and Santa is there for pics:

We’re told Santa’s stand-in (shhh) this morning is Peter Gelpi, featured in a recent WSB story about his volunteer work in Ukraine, where he’ll also be standing in for Santa on Christmas Eve! The crowd, meantime, is all ages:

Proceeds will help fund the Kiwanis Club’s work with youth – raffle items and the online auction too:

And the pancakes keep flying out of the kitchen – by 9 o’clock they’d sent out 10 takeout orders too!

Next big event for the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle, the Hometown Holidays Coat Drive at their booth on the south end of the Farmers’ Market, one week from tomorrow, on Sunday, December 14, 10 am-2 pm – bring a new or gently used coat/jacket to donate, get cocoa!