Every year on the day before Lent (Shrove Tuesday), the communities of Liberal, Kansas, and Olney, England, take part in a time-honored tradition: the Pancake Day Race!
Dating back 600 years in England, the pancake race began when “a woman engrossed in using up cooking fats (forbidden during Lent) was making pancakes. Hearing the church bells ring calling everyone to the shriving service, she grabbed her head scarf (required in church) and ran 415 yards to the church, skillet and pancake in hand and still apron-clad. In following years, neighbors got into the act and it became a race to see who could reach the church first and collect a "Kiss of Peace" from the bell-ringer (Pancake Day Story).”
In 1950, Liberal Jaycee President R.J. Leete saw a magazine photo of Olney’s pancake race and was inspired to race against them. The two communities have been racing annually ever since, and thanks to video calling capabilities, they are able to meet each year.
We were the sponsor of this year’s video call between the two racing locations. Elyse Torres, an operations support specialist in Liberal, represented Black Hills Energy at the event.
“We look forward to pancake day every year,” Torres said. “It’s a big event for Liberal!”
The International Pancake Day Race is still the only race of its kind on the planet. If you would like to watch this year’s video call between the two racing locations, visit International Web Chat | pancake-day-usa (pancakeday.net)
Positive Energy
-
Jan Meis and Suzie Kingery like to take walks together outside the Black Hills Energy office in Council Bluffs. Most days, these walks are uneventful, but on Monday, Oct. 7, they were surprised to see a Cooper’s hawk in the road. Several vehicles passed by before they had the opportunity to help.… -
A hot, windy day in southwest Nebraska generated $3,768 as Black Hills Energy employees, family and friends putted for a playground. The Central Region's 4th Annual Golf Tournament was hosted in McCook, Nebraska this year on Sept. 30 at Heritage Hills Golf Course. The tournament, with a field of… -
On Friday, Sept. 22, the Kearney office went to the dogs…literally! To show support for the local community and hold an event to coincide with the area Junk Jaunt, a garage sale was hosted to benefit the Kearney Area Animal Shelter. Committee members met and chose the animal shelter as the charity… -
Each year Black Hills Energy is able to support United Way in a Day of Caring event as part of the Season of Giving campaign. Several employees from the Bluffs facility in Iowa joined together to help the New Visions Homeless Services get ready for their December Community Christmas by sorting…