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CASSOPOLIS — The smell of maple syrup, fresh coffee and pancakes wafted through the Cassopolis Veterans of Foreign Wars post this weekend in what organizers hope to make a bi-monthly tradition.

Saturday morning, the VFW hosted a pancake breakfast at its Cassopolis post, 131 S. Broadway St., Cassopolis. The meal was the first of many for the post, which plans to host breakfasts from 8 to 11 a.m. every second and fourth Saturday. The breakfasts will include pancakes and sausage, along with other potential breakfast staples such as biscuits and gravy and haystacks. Meals are served with coffee, orange juice, milk or hot chocolate. Cost is $8 for adults and $5 for children under the age of 10.

Belinda Gravit, Cassopolis VFW Auxiliary president, said all proceeds from the breakfasts will go to benefit the post, its operating costs and community projects.

“We are hosting this to keep our post alive,” Gravit said in between flipping pancakes Saturday morning. “This is to help us do things for the community.”

The Cassopolis VFW has long been active in the community providing student scholarships through the Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy contests, lunches for veterans and more.

With additional funds coming in through the fundraiser breakfasts, Gravit hopes to increase the VFW’s community outreach.

Gravit reported the morning was a busy morning, which she was happy to see. She hopes to see the following events even more well attended, believing it is important for the community to support the VFW and, in turn, the community’s veterans.

“We are out there to help the community with whatever they need, but we can’t help them if we don’t have the funds,” she said.

Members of the VFW Post Auxiliary were not alone in hosting the pancake breakfast over the weekend. The newly crowned Miss Cassopolis Court of Honor was on hand to help as part of its members’ first volunteer event.

Both Miss Cassopolis Rebekah Rininger and Mr. Cassopolis Will Poitras said they had a great time helping out Saturday morning.

“It feels good to get out and interact with people and give them breakfast,” Poitras said. “It’s the most important meal of the day.”

“We are here for the community, so we want them to know who we are,” Rininger added. “We want to be here to represent the community as a whole.”

Gravit said she was grateful to the Miss Cassopolis Court of Honor for volunteering, and added that she looks forward to future breakfasts at the VFW.

“We are excited to welcome everyone for breakfast,” she said.