Event helps fund two nursing scholarships

An early morning rainstorm kept some people from showing up early for the Ironton Rotary Club’s annual pancake breakfast on Saturday. But by 10 a.m., the Knights of Columbus hall was packed and the syrup flowed as people came in for flapjacks.

“It’s been going good, it is picking up,” said Marty Conley, the Ironton Rotary president.

The event is the group’s biggest fundraiser of the year and they use it to fund two scholarships for Lawrence County nursing students.

“We should have our applications for that coming out soon,” Conley said. “It is for residents of Lawrence County and, if they go to a different place, they are still eligible.”

Assisting, as always, was Ironton Boy Scout Troop 106, who did everything from serving to making sure people had drinks to cleaning up and putting away tables at the end.

Also on hand were members of Ohio University Southern’s Student Nurses Association who were helping out when needed.

Dr. Beth Delaney, one of OU’s nursing professors, was filling in for Nicole Stumbo, assistant professor of nursing and Student Nursing Association advisor at OUS, who was feeling under the weather.

Delaney said that many of the members of the nursing association, as well as some students who aren’t in the nursing program, were there because they like to volunteer their time and help out the community.

“The pancake breakfast is always a real favorite, because they like what they do and they might get a pancake,” she said, adding that Stumbo goes above and beyond to make sure the nursing association gets out into the community like the rotary breakfast.

“This is Nicole’s home and she likes to give back to the community and a lot of the nursing students come back and work in the community, so it kudos to her for all the hard work she does,” Delaney said.

Amongst the long tables in the hall was Davin Fuhr, of Rock Hill, who was there for one simple reason.

“The pancakes,” he said, adding his favorite part was the sausages. “We’ve been coming for two years.”

Also at the table with her kids, was Davin’s aunt, Nora Fuhr. She said they came out because Darwin Haynes, who was manning the griddle, had announced at Storms Creek Missionary Baptist Church that the Rotary Club was having the breakfast and invited everyone to come out.

There were so many people who came from the church that people were joking they were the Darwin Fan Club.

“I’ve been doing this since 2003. I was trained by Ray ‘Doc’ Payne himself. And this is my protégé,” Haynes said, motioning towards Lawrence County auditor Paul David Knipp, who was manning the second griddle. 

Student Nurses Association will be having a blood drive today from 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. in the Riffe Rotunda.

Delaney said they already have close to 50 people coming and more are needed since the American Red Cross is facing a shortage of blood needed to help people.

“The more people we can get to come out and donate blood, that would be wonderful,” she said.